tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50282709548085941712024-03-12T20:31:25.831-05:00A little bit of everythingMy everyday adventures in being a [quasi] newlywed, cooking, and traveling.Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.comBlogger421125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-66180029202246052002017-04-04T06:00:00.000-05:002017-04-04T06:00:06.939-05:00Europe<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And yet another post- I know, it is hard to believe you get two posts in 1 week after complete silence for almost a year. That's what happens when my husband works a lot of overtime!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Over spring break I had the opportunity to help lead a short-term study abroad trip to London and Rennes, France. The topic was history of crime and my colleague has been doing these trips for over 20 years now. This is definitely his area and it was exciting to see his passion come out during the trip. While he did most of the lecturing during our 'crime walks,' I did get to add in my two cents every now and then. As this was my first time to go, I wasn't sure all the topics he could cover. Now that I have seen it, I will be able to contribute more in the future and introduce topics such as comparative corrections and juvenile justice.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Part of the original Roman wall around the City of London.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had to get a picture in front of the Easter Island statue at the British Museum</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The requisite fish and chips (delicious!)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More of that complex</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My colleague doing his thing during a crime walk</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you're ever in the UK, you have to try <br />this chocolate bar. It is unlike anything I've <br />had in the US and it is SO good!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Outside the Tower of London</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Matt came with me for the first leg to London and we had a great time exploring the city together. When he went back to the US, I, along with the rest of the group, took the Eurostar train from London to Paris where we then caught another train for Rennes, a small town southwest of Paris. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Inside the Tower of London</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My colleague, who is a London native, took us to Broad Street which is known for its Indian food. You literally barter for your meal. As you walk down the street, you are approached by different individuals, each representing their Indian restaurant. One will offer you a complete meal for say, 9 pounds, and then the next will offer you the same deal for only 8 pounds. You can then ask the earlier guy if he will reduce the price, etc., until you reach a deal you're happy with. I let my colleague handle that part and the results were delicious!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I took the train one day to Cambridge to have a couple of meetings with colleagues there. While exploring the vast campus (the University of Cambridge is made up of distinct colleges, each with its own grounds), I absolutely fell in love with the beautiful grounds!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was part of King's College</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More King's College</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtLtV5MZ3HQUwyxJoKsUVOVIHP_jJXTgfuE-CD-sUYiOffpQr0wjxUfgS5ZFjyYOQic0qsal7I4iCxbKBvkNU71SGkizf1t8JHcrVkNgmDudtc3g3Ne3flMJekMPru14z7u25n8XWe2fr/s1600/2017-03-15+17.07.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtLtV5MZ3HQUwyxJoKsUVOVIHP_jJXTgfuE-CD-sUYiOffpQr0wjxUfgS5ZFjyYOQic0qsal7I4iCxbKBvkNU71SGkizf1t8JHcrVkNgmDudtc3g3Ne3flMJekMPru14z7u25n8XWe2fr/s320/2017-03-15+17.07.23.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While waiting at King's Cross station for your husband, one must get their picture taken at Platform 9 3/4! </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Given its smaller size, it had a much more relaxed pace than London did and it felt nice to breathe and just wander. The city was absolutely beautiful- old cobblestone streets and buildings dating back to the 13th or 14th century. I spent many hours just exploring and also enjoyed walking around the large park. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Rennes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was actually the largest women's prison in France. I, along with a smaller group of students, were able to tour the facility. It is the only all-women's prison in the country.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Switching gears, back to pretty buildings!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the original gates into the city.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFtzPFEkkhC0CQa9QFRGasWsM9jC8gQlMqt7cu4NAUSxF7n-HzkOJytnWOk2wF8Qi7-gzJHn-R6JFwfycz8EeyqR1-CBe1QwbkLXLjSwtlZ3f41-m2qUjZlEsMQQfKixF1L3fJri9ns_z/s1600/2017-03-17+15.24.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFtzPFEkkhC0CQa9QFRGasWsM9jC8gQlMqt7cu4NAUSxF7n-HzkOJytnWOk2wF8Qi7-gzJHn-R6JFwfycz8EeyqR1-CBe1QwbkLXLjSwtlZ3f41-m2qUjZlEsMQQfKixF1L3fJri9ns_z/s320/2017-03-17+15.24.59.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rennes' city hall</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The park they had was absolutely gorgeous!</td></tr>
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On my last full day before flying home, I had the day to spend in Paris, solo. In order to maximize the number of things I got to see, I opted for a bike tour of the city. I highly recommend this as a great way to see the city! We got to see most of the major sites and it was actually fun riding a bike through the city streets.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notre Dame</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a bad way to end the trip!</td></tr>
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Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-32848539594697735952017-04-01T06:00:00.000-05:002017-04-01T06:00:13.155-05:00Hardy Update<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So this post is really for my aunt Paula who has all but given up on me updating my blog. Look-- a new post! Hooray! Plus, we have important things to discuss, namely how our new dog Hardy has been adjusting.</span><div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzvTQiuBX8TASsxbLSv-4eSc8GvhfeTNPc9XMcBT-wL5qlEQkStZ3hI5YrOpx7xOcbwE_hoisY5jfNCAjcbZtFB-zSAt-FxDzYhcudK9N6LBbgEl-MpoGoTCQHNngWT9j9yQmj6Ye8fI0/s1600/2017-02-14+19.28.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzvTQiuBX8TASsxbLSv-4eSc8GvhfeTNPc9XMcBT-wL5qlEQkStZ3hI5YrOpx7xOcbwE_hoisY5jfNCAjcbZtFB-zSAt-FxDzYhcudK9N6LBbgEl-MpoGoTCQHNngWT9j9yQmj6Ye8fI0/s320/2017-02-14+19.28.15.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Valentine's Day we got him a nice treat from the local <br />dog bakery. We didn't get ourselves anything, but we did have <br />to get him something :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NwImUYltItMckDtdCerL7EDUK1CXqP29zPAjx6G1TcqL3oG7B-fngftZVHdvgiKMp-V8eLXTzLxVT51TYFoYr_lKJAX41AnwrmX0RE8xE2gT3fUjxwAHYnmqAyCHm2wYkWbuZxiw9shj/s1600/2017-03-27+16.08.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NwImUYltItMckDtdCerL7EDUK1CXqP29zPAjx6G1TcqL3oG7B-fngftZVHdvgiKMp-V8eLXTzLxVT51TYFoYr_lKJAX41AnwrmX0RE8xE2gT3fUjxwAHYnmqAyCHm2wYkWbuZxiw9shj/s320/2017-03-27+16.08.57.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Watching people from the study</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uSqsmjU5nM2on7ONjlQ3KETzWNBDcYxjrk0GUyxPXv-V1Ilhj5uPT8tCc0ILG3JKELR-7ktxLHX5x4K6uZw9zGG_agzpH8gD02hyxpYipZhYs7jFUwCwYvBMousG4fIAoZdq_3u_cQLy/s1600/2016-11-08+21.28.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uSqsmjU5nM2on7ONjlQ3KETzWNBDcYxjrk0GUyxPXv-V1Ilhj5uPT8tCc0ILG3JKELR-7ktxLHX5x4K6uZw9zGG_agzpH8gD02hyxpYipZhYs7jFUwCwYvBMousG4fIAoZdq_3u_cQLy/s320/2016-11-08+21.28.58.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, he loves cuddling.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eLY-6jSr1BH760CWqOS5vMPzYAN8I0wR4um5CruqOf2R3_j3e1MmqE6x2dTRX0YHNLiuIQwYTevdCZNKlael1Yseee2eSmAaN6KGpNX1IIPdkvhHPuCCnsomtVy7GuMhV3mZ_rJci-I1/s1600/2016-12-10+13.03.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eLY-6jSr1BH760CWqOS5vMPzYAN8I0wR4um5CruqOf2R3_j3e1MmqE6x2dTRX0YHNLiuIQwYTevdCZNKlael1Yseee2eSmAaN6KGpNX1IIPdkvhHPuCCnsomtVy7GuMhV3mZ_rJci-I1/s320/2016-12-10+13.03.55.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Static fur FTW</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In short, he has adjusted. He has more than adjusted. He has made himself quite comfortable in our home and firmly established himself as the center of our lives (he would like to think so, at least). Hardy really is quite happy and I am so glad that he doesn't seem to hold on to any of the issues he had from his first few years of life. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzionRhFkTQQLhG4v9E0aNNZqr0Jw6LQnJUn5j1tIAkC8f9ZTLLMaJ7MnPpn1LtDbqZI8q_RyxBZILPycooSBY0YCqCH3jBOiSBcW88C1NOcx4-zbp5R7X-pOhVBp_RBJuvnk79ScWUme/s1600/2017-01-14+06.40.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzionRhFkTQQLhG4v9E0aNNZqr0Jw6LQnJUn5j1tIAkC8f9ZTLLMaJ7MnPpn1LtDbqZI8q_RyxBZILPycooSBY0YCqCH3jBOiSBcW88C1NOcx4-zbp5R7X-pOhVBp_RBJuvnk79ScWUme/s320/2017-01-14+06.40.05.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He loves going under blankets.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CaPQBy8cX-w6uWRT1i2MFb7yLuGfOLgmk6WoUkUZL0dcu6pHKVQsbqqLCE-8O7XGKaaV0pKzKFfdnFdhTz5hqMX551PQmYPCSsF0eibv3Trrve0XG1OEnu4UBmMqjAdB9eoObJbxG7pa/s1600/2017-01-14+07.32.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CaPQBy8cX-w6uWRT1i2MFb7yLuGfOLgmk6WoUkUZL0dcu6pHKVQsbqqLCE-8O7XGKaaV0pKzKFfdnFdhTz5hqMX551PQmYPCSsF0eibv3Trrve0XG1OEnu4UBmMqjAdB9eoObJbxG7pa/s320/2017-01-14+07.32.07.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It wasn't even particularly cold that day- he just burrows</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While his isolation anxiety is gone, there are occasions where he decides to use kleenex or magazines as chew toys, completely ignoring all of the toys on the floor. We have just started keeping those items away from his reach and that has solved that issue. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuqCjyo8a1D-RMS9cbRdNC35w3tuyu54x6guL-j8TElOVCIJdcN2tExWCTwSr4ruEYgu-4XTaXf9y42VWslRBUDkUXGv5O1J37jedyd5zuIACUNfp7YzUGOS8CMphCyfLkvR6UguEaaht/s1600/2016-09-06+16.28.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuqCjyo8a1D-RMS9cbRdNC35w3tuyu54x6guL-j8TElOVCIJdcN2tExWCTwSr4ruEYgu-4XTaXf9y42VWslRBUDkUXGv5O1J37jedyd5zuIACUNfp7YzUGOS8CMphCyfLkvR6UguEaaht/s320/2016-09-06+16.28.57.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He only looks innocent...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hardy absolutely adores walks. And when we get home. Those are the highlights of his day and it is adorable watching him jump and run around the house in circles. He hardly barks (we are so lucky!) but when he does, you know it is because he thinks you are ignoring him. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTdjX3G7HJ9fZkfVS30nuu9fByuJdtHBzbJcXFDNgP75PT9iaOu8qHubRlNgkBP0upv5f3llAkG9dIyv0IiQD-wwGAiTXVDRnj6k8-P64p4vmuBytAdAYB0ZejySm1mBi5PQTUrdSGzz7/s1600/2016-10-19+15.56.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTdjX3G7HJ9fZkfVS30nuu9fByuJdtHBzbJcXFDNgP75PT9iaOu8qHubRlNgkBP0upv5f3llAkG9dIyv0IiQD-wwGAiTXVDRnj6k8-P64p4vmuBytAdAYB0ZejySm1mBi5PQTUrdSGzz7/s320/2016-10-19+15.56.01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He apparently thinks stats are boring.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I could go on and on but I can't make it too obvious that I am a crazy dog-mom, or is it too late for that? :)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jU2riSHKYNC_4ScbgyTLab4kGAC8YKZYznWrXW3NXND2ddCHruiHkVk0IrodZQvI_1uIzhrCnJbXwhAIxjq9vfCbBDCSslBi6r8kbbcl1c2XB5e2BDwaAxtsDj7O_zXvW02YyHC9edFh/s1600/2016-12-14+15.10.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jU2riSHKYNC_4ScbgyTLab4kGAC8YKZYznWrXW3NXND2ddCHruiHkVk0IrodZQvI_1uIzhrCnJbXwhAIxjq9vfCbBDCSslBi6r8kbbcl1c2XB5e2BDwaAxtsDj7O_zXvW02YyHC9edFh/s320/2016-12-14+15.10.02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, we got him a sweater. My defense is it gets really cold <br />here in north Texas. You can tell he appreciates <br />having it on during our walks! </span></td></tr>
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Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-91863382355698320102016-08-17T17:34:00.000-05:002016-08-17T18:30:30.683-05:00Oh Hardy!<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I know. The time of the year when I theoretically have the most 'free' time I completely slack off in blogging. Life has been pretty busy this summer but it has also been a time of a lot of growth and amazing opportunities. One of the biggest changes is that we became parents! Meet Hardy, our 3-year-old Maltese-Terrier mix (though I've also been told long-haired chihuahua):</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PMyrehYHKbMAdnyjkgevU107v8cwUxId4zuSbhyphenhyphenFDdwdBD5zkQdneYsObLBVprGLgxWHhExNxfK001Foo7j9kuDjTeXe0MTTciRDnTy7t2Spn3Gvk0UcKNRiDx4_PkZCVi5VAhLfE7KE/s1600/2016-06-29+16.56.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PMyrehYHKbMAdnyjkgevU107v8cwUxId4zuSbhyphenhyphenFDdwdBD5zkQdneYsObLBVprGLgxWHhExNxfK001Foo7j9kuDjTeXe0MTTciRDnTy7t2Spn3Gvk0UcKNRiDx4_PkZCVi5VAhLfE7KE/s320/2016-06-29+16.56.34.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I know, he is pretty adorable.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Though he only weighs 8 lbs, he has been quite the handful. We quickly discovered he had pretty severe isolation anxiety. He was able to escape from a variety of baby gates and was generally frantic and unhappy when he was alone. He was rescued from a hoarding situation so we don't think he had ever been alone before. We hired a trainer and started working with him. He has gotten so much better! We can go about 5, 5 and a half hours where he is sleeping/laying down while we're gone. While it isn't up to the 8 hours it will need to be once the school year starts, we are so encouraged to have this improvement! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQz22IHPdfHOoqtd1b8YUH2K5wVj7q0TFW6JT-wM-oZ2AP5MEOwXARGqt6qnNsWDFu2FblB5VrHdCCQDGgyWYkFXvOOaxNezFCQEIEdWr445nvdnwJhwSSweUDFpconiMBPyCdKll-Dhr/s1600/2016-07-05+12.21.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQz22IHPdfHOoqtd1b8YUH2K5wVj7q0TFW6JT-wM-oZ2AP5MEOwXARGqt6qnNsWDFu2FblB5VrHdCCQDGgyWYkFXvOOaxNezFCQEIEdWr445nvdnwJhwSSweUDFpconiMBPyCdKll-Dhr/s320/2016-07-05+12.21.34.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He likes to keep me company in his chair while I work. He is <br />wearing his thundershirt here- helps with the isolation anxiety!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He has definitely made himself at home and has quite the personality! While at first he was very wary around Matt, he has warmed up to him considerably and will keep him company if Matt's the only one home. However, once I'm home or if my lap is available, you better believe he is my dog. We have found that he loves the garden store (seriously, he was prancing around it the other day he was so happy), peanut butter (but what dog doesn't?), and makes dinosaur noises. He doesn't bark (really, unless we're gone) but he makes little screeches like a dinosaur when he is super excited and wants our attention (typically after we get home).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6QYfgeVY4_mPSOZwxPSs4Q2zowLEmqBq9Zc2S-9xRKzKLUALRbdJY2CpUl-9Qh71veJ1odKugfcWv0T4zaaCCwvFYdv1FWZkcDM9-M8DlX-sGBNW2U17mtcviuKzzjYIz0eG_FJFFWAC/s1600/2016-07-12+19.32.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6QYfgeVY4_mPSOZwxPSs4Q2zowLEmqBq9Zc2S-9xRKzKLUALRbdJY2CpUl-9Qh71veJ1odKugfcWv0T4zaaCCwvFYdv1FWZkcDM9-M8DlX-sGBNW2U17mtcviuKzzjYIz0eG_FJFFWAC/s320/2016-07-12+19.32.59.jpg" width="180" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was the first time Hardy got in Matt's lap voluntarily. HUGE deal!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nomT59w14VozPUqf8vNF8bypxQv5nNMxNgwM-KQ7Ozinx2r5I68HRE2HghFJsScRoCSR9834-9R6MkR6Re4E0dlbs76_-iofWnGuqbtoIVVgz153Aib2CKW9ff7f9vp6qXUqSebxFtgk/s1600/2016-07-20+19.13.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nomT59w14VozPUqf8vNF8bypxQv5nNMxNgwM-KQ7Ozinx2r5I68HRE2HghFJsScRoCSR9834-9R6MkR6Re4E0dlbs76_-iofWnGuqbtoIVVgz153Aib2CKW9ff7f9vp6qXUqSebxFtgk/s320/2016-07-20+19.13.54.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yeah, he kind of likes me...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While he has caused us to adjust our lifestyle and schedule, he is definitely worth it. I mean, how can you not love that face??</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLw_PFEVioJvShVPkm06m5egVosc1yk9ihpjPMcnKj0E5le8nBk44GyxVvBPSJLYWWA-HZ7pNa7_SImd3zOx5ORnR1PrEGFqG3bhRrC5grdPzkBb8KJ_DuMcA8Ep58e2N88z7Es25XYi7/s1600/2016-07-14+11.22.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLw_PFEVioJvShVPkm06m5egVosc1yk9ihpjPMcnKj0E5le8nBk44GyxVvBPSJLYWWA-HZ7pNa7_SImd3zOx5ORnR1PrEGFqG3bhRrC5grdPzkBb8KJ_DuMcA8Ep58e2N88z7Es25XYi7/s320/2016-07-14+11.22.06.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yes, everyone should have more Hardy pictures.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn01j5znoRvdmRlKo0CKEgGUGupkU6CRQX_owg-NI0ZhJT-m4tICETIqVqJNG-W_xYHfNxDgyQ-A19_zx-WYMuD2mIvCx2lGkbKId63fq3r7G4EnRRRMD4YTOMIZzBaA0wAN_3wmYRfx5n/s1600/2016-08-12+16.54.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn01j5znoRvdmRlKo0CKEgGUGupkU6CRQX_owg-NI0ZhJT-m4tICETIqVqJNG-W_xYHfNxDgyQ-A19_zx-WYMuD2mIvCx2lGkbKId63fq3r7G4EnRRRMD4YTOMIZzBaA0wAN_3wmYRfx5n/s320/2016-08-12+16.54.51.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Doesn't he look comfortable?</span></td></tr>
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Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-65582545666712775012016-07-06T17:10:00.000-05:002016-07-06T17:10:34.145-05:00Fourth of July!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope everyone had a great weekend celebrating our country's independence! We hosted Matt's (mostly) entire family for the weekend and couldn't have had a better time. We didn't know how it would go for a couple of reasons: 1) We were going to have 17 people over and we weren't sure how our new, shy dog would react (Oh, I need a post on Hardy, don't I??) and 2) Our AC downstairs broke Thursday evening. Yes. In Texas. Over 4th of July weekend. The joys of homeownership, right? </span><br />
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<a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/xT0GqtpF1NWd9VbstO/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/xT0GqtpF1NWd9VbstO/giphy.gif" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I will spare you the suspense and let you know it all worked out. Even though we had a second location we could use if needed, we were able to make our AC limp along for the weekend and it never felt too, too hot! Our AC is fixed as of this writing (Wednesday afternoon), so here is hoping it sticks for the rest of the summer...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But anyway, back to the 4th. We all had a great time hanging out, playing games, playing with my adorable 5-month old niece, and eating. I am really enjoying hosting people in our home and so glad we bought this particular house with that in mind. Even though we had 17 people in the house, it never felt too crowded and people were able to spread out and be comfortable. There were also some fun nerf battles that happened, too, because cousins :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are some pictures, courtesy of my mother-in-law, because I was a bit too busy to think about breaking out my camera. So glad she shared these with me as I love looking through them. I hope you do, too!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzAONlCtT_uPh3dtIx9NvzYzuBHA0YAR87e2cjgARjdF8E97G7f2AFZGLsKA_Vs0J3dcO18XdILX7VTAnDk22fUgfgSlblLr2XsUuNSkmg2afVynjOJScZ0ry4UUl3JVGv422zRhzaTYg/s1600/IMG_2257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzAONlCtT_uPh3dtIx9NvzYzuBHA0YAR87e2cjgARjdF8E97G7f2AFZGLsKA_Vs0J3dcO18XdILX7VTAnDk22fUgfgSlblLr2XsUuNSkmg2afVynjOJScZ0ry4UUl3JVGv422zRhzaTYg/s320/IMG_2257.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because when one of the cousins owns a unicorn onesie, you have to :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPDg9e3OFfRGXQfZP4-FZnfwu4rBYqPisyHuJ4wx3upW2yKW4EndwdAcS0ZbFeVu-PR1m-fWgRRqF_MHGfF4nE9_157fg0RQwjwRGbWXhWdfYTA5H9dXzIhMwtkwBGooSHmERSoMPQ80sd/s1600/IMG_2258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPDg9e3OFfRGXQfZP4-FZnfwu4rBYqPisyHuJ4wx3upW2yKW4EndwdAcS0ZbFeVu-PR1m-fWgRRqF_MHGfF4nE9_157fg0RQwjwRGbWXhWdfYTA5H9dXzIhMwtkwBGooSHmERSoMPQ80sd/s320/IMG_2258.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Father & son both wearing fox shirts</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sO3TZEXfeY3-9_WEWVmhf4pcblkznZb-tdI2V3RsFOCXEwynmMapSRcg15hKxrHHchlU0MvRz3dC-6OG3UFxJls-An6CCGQJ8RlxjbJPkbMKk9oaiNFUdSi-xiF80fQCGMEnZngLHtND/s1600/IMG_2259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sO3TZEXfeY3-9_WEWVmhf4pcblkznZb-tdI2V3RsFOCXEwynmMapSRcg15hKxrHHchlU0MvRz3dC-6OG3UFxJls-An6CCGQJ8RlxjbJPkbMKk9oaiNFUdSi-xiF80fQCGMEnZngLHtND/s320/IMG_2259.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Based on this picture, you would think we only ate healthy. <br />This doesn't include the 3 different types of cookies, 2 kinds <br />of brownies, 2 pans of apple crisp, and vanilla ice cream that <br />was also available :)</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUi4XT5mlC1Bvz3oRQR9i8CWmm5B2ZKr_MRsmVnm9PXk8lHuftSMCIN-hQJlwm2dkYBrWKp0XRtyONF2QzLnwngr354eEZ2nnJxnbucQdEViHz4TQE63Itxl6xn9I3D4oYQ_zwbdmo6A06/s1600/IMG_2264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUi4XT5mlC1Bvz3oRQR9i8CWmm5B2ZKr_MRsmVnm9PXk8lHuftSMCIN-hQJlwm2dkYBrWKp0XRtyONF2QzLnwngr354eEZ2nnJxnbucQdEViHz4TQE63Itxl6xn9I3D4oYQ_zwbdmo6A06/s320/IMG_2264.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNgsyNjZhtzeLF67FDXuLeo-YZzuPKvnnm92bUj4klo7-AxMcSMhI_WyHLRTnq3kolIUIS38BJVH8yuPqj4vbgvRtaCjDmZBi_c_jPQVZLPxT49yMSKZhpj4zAzjwiodndfBR_JDYHHdm/s1600/IMG_2267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNgsyNjZhtzeLF67FDXuLeo-YZzuPKvnnm92bUj4klo7-AxMcSMhI_WyHLRTnq3kolIUIS38BJVH8yuPqj4vbgvRtaCjDmZBi_c_jPQVZLPxT49yMSKZhpj4zAzjwiodndfBR_JDYHHdm/s320/IMG_2267.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hardy and baby Bethany were quite interested in one another, but <br />neither knew what to make of the other. So cute! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xg8xzpskEuT_EyrL1zBPMYhXXqf3aSUgvt-NcUlLQe9avikbPZL-LCkflus6HKLMolK5KEJPmFvdfD4FAohw5RSwCaM1awoS6I0xwyV_dHKfe14-KG2uvWDEbzlNBMWrYvM-pz0ntpn8/s1600/IMG_2271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xg8xzpskEuT_EyrL1zBPMYhXXqf3aSUgvt-NcUlLQe9avikbPZL-LCkflus6HKLMolK5KEJPmFvdfD4FAohw5RSwCaM1awoS6I0xwyV_dHKfe14-KG2uvWDEbzlNBMWrYvM-pz0ntpn8/s320/IMG_2271.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bench pressing of the youngest cousin</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWz2FgYI8Cx7WhYvXOa6hJdjF_56ZgaI5V-nd2F9lliDKEqjv74ippRneadrfoKezPzPxc4oti3hC0yNyv5aLJSdR0i5MS2558LsHBKeLpg_UJE2Elmsg6kZPv7JEGh5W_63uEGOWy50MZ/s1600/IMG_2273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWz2FgYI8Cx7WhYvXOa6hJdjF_56ZgaI5V-nd2F9lliDKEqjv74ippRneadrfoKezPzPxc4oti3hC0yNyv5aLJSdR0i5MS2558LsHBKeLpg_UJE2Elmsg6kZPv7JEGh5W_63uEGOWy50MZ/s320/IMG_2273.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Avocado is pretty delicious!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWHf1bpwjLDjLtmdN1wwSNOie_pFR67iDgX0RDX08nM41pASE0xJkad2QPejG-w6rQnmmT5TUFyy_Ul_AOVRdvQ7n20u8YfYvXNgItU7fZVvC9uCe7XOP4o385RgSla3LFhJWa-9X4LyB/s1600/IMG_2275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWHf1bpwjLDjLtmdN1wwSNOie_pFR67iDgX0RDX08nM41pASE0xJkad2QPejG-w6rQnmmT5TUFyy_Ul_AOVRdvQ7n20u8YfYvXNgItU7fZVvC9uCe7XOP4o385RgSla3LFhJWa-9X4LyB/s320/IMG_2275.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KwnQK1mV4IVEenfELn1no-dILwaUw76_eea2X5KFEk_1m0z85iOSdZNv4xHiFz8b4Pa6IiCnwrBlhrF7jsVXwuWXzlwyR4QBacENoOKJ76mnC2hF-Nr-w_IeSFPBPtnb3SShwhsMD_yS/s1600/IMG_2281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KwnQK1mV4IVEenfELn1no-dILwaUw76_eea2X5KFEk_1m0z85iOSdZNv4xHiFz8b4Pa6IiCnwrBlhrF7jsVXwuWXzlwyR4QBacENoOKJ76mnC2hF-Nr-w_IeSFPBPtnb3SShwhsMD_yS/s320/IMG_2281.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDhlZ14tnG1scvX8FIiBelfO3KoTtlTM3NXyjoz6t6Jx_k_bRqcGvuuXiiusV_Y5EMldDhummd3K7lJF-9rTXhVZEt9GeZm-He5mYlpjcJJMGG-KKHEklB_fsO9w6jNQC6DpiAyMrB2fX/s1600/IMG_2285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDhlZ14tnG1scvX8FIiBelfO3KoTtlTM3NXyjoz6t6Jx_k_bRqcGvuuXiiusV_Y5EMldDhummd3K7lJF-9rTXhVZEt9GeZm-He5mYlpjcJJMGG-KKHEklB_fsO9w6jNQC6DpiAyMrB2fX/s320/IMG_2285.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bethany and the great grandmother :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88qX4XtUBqZxYerwdiotNMYyUrYeQ1x8dhSoUA9vw7WrhjOsuQ6uGL3-6i5x_5bFn7_YTvwUwIBsw0X4aWhRHaXR1dnK3dUDdlG5zCyMsR72xG__ERccezt1MTZAxBBhLgWW2QOy_LjN_/s1600/IMG_2288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88qX4XtUBqZxYerwdiotNMYyUrYeQ1x8dhSoUA9vw7WrhjOsuQ6uGL3-6i5x_5bFn7_YTvwUwIBsw0X4aWhRHaXR1dnK3dUDdlG5zCyMsR72xG__ERccezt1MTZAxBBhLgWW2QOy_LjN_/s320/IMG_2288.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Evidence that Hardy can indeed sit on other people's laps besides <br />Matt or mine. I wouldn't have believed it, either.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRx2dmaetMWBqK_nc5pfVV68AWGfCX-Vv7-n4V3vvSITDSiTcOGDgzaNKTSQkxEUXsVBnrr4MeiYx4GViaPOt5Sz7Ii6FVWlMVUIyI1pP7TyOwlkXoEK5RVeKLqrU9wW2DhzJWGwHzvn3/s1600/IMG_2290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRx2dmaetMWBqK_nc5pfVV68AWGfCX-Vv7-n4V3vvSITDSiTcOGDgzaNKTSQkxEUXsVBnrr4MeiYx4GViaPOt5Sz7Ii6FVWlMVUIyI1pP7TyOwlkXoEK5RVeKLqrU9wW2DhzJWGwHzvn3/s320/IMG_2290.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No 4th of July post would be complete without fireworks :)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-24173040654010945432016-06-13T06:00:00.000-05:002016-06-13T06:00:02.736-05:00Vegas: The Food<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Congratulations, you made it through all of my trip recaps! For today's main event- food! When I research a trip, I tend to spend a decent amount of time in researching good places to eat. Sites like Yelp and Trip Advisor are a huge help and we have had pretty good luck in finding delicious restaurants while we travel. This trip was certainly no different, though there were a few misses due mainly to poor service. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Lesson</i>: If you want a nice dinner with good service <b>and </b>good food on the strip, you are going to have to pay at least $50/entree. Otherwise, go off the strip for a good experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Given the number of meals we were going to be eating out, we did not want to spend that much so we optimistically made 2 dinner reservations for restaurants that were more 'mid-range' but still not cheap by any means ($25+/entree; <a href="http://searsucker.com/las-vegas/" target="_blank">Searsucker </a>& <a href="http://www.monamigabi.com/home/?loc=vegas" target="_blank">Mon Ami Gabi</a>). While the food was good, the service was pretty bad. For example, the servers seemed less than enthusiastic to be there and (I know this sounds petty) they failed to mention it was our anniversary despite it being noted on the reservation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However, all of this was in stark contrast to another restaurant we made reservations for which was off the strip and ended up being one of my favorite meals of the trip (<a href="http://honeysalt.com/" target="_blank">Honey Salt</a>). This restaurant was in a more residential neighborhood about 20 minutes away and the service was perfect. The food was also amazing, so win-win! So lesson learned, unless you can really pay the big bucks, for a great dining experience go off the strip!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Anyway, here is a sampling of some of our delicious meals, for those of you who enjoy this kind of thing :)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6lm0iCpboBA0s2I8Q9ZYd82kv95KMYf3DaR94z8ym07wg8WP5pAYnha2aLDdig74irNNaaItQ00f_GnZitQwVbQVxAQM_CY_M3vlZzuNelyV0Krtb8EF4IedWNkNSlTdP6z-aJXRa9hw/s1600/BBQ+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6lm0iCpboBA0s2I8Q9ZYd82kv95KMYf3DaR94z8ym07wg8WP5pAYnha2aLDdig74irNNaaItQ00f_GnZitQwVbQVxAQM_CY_M3vlZzuNelyV0Krtb8EF4IedWNkNSlTdP6z-aJXRa9hw/s320/BBQ+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Delicious BBQ at <a href="http://rollinsmokebarbeque.com/" target="_blank">Rollin Smoke BBQ</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbsHSOTz-G6U1GKgVvMAZfXViqSA6kJvSAGBFUyCSBvan6mHKnMJCpswn8EWILE4g8BU_QBbFjyJ1RoW-6Q6AzXadSTu1llqtEetOhM4sB2nKbOJsjozAy15XtznqZzgPxQ9vUm1oRKYx/s1600/BBQ+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbsHSOTz-G6U1GKgVvMAZfXViqSA6kJvSAGBFUyCSBvan6mHKnMJCpswn8EWILE4g8BU_QBbFjyJ1RoW-6Q6AzXadSTu1llqtEetOhM4sB2nKbOJsjozAy15XtznqZzgPxQ9vUm1oRKYx/s320/BBQ+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was their original smoker that they had turned into an <br />aquarium. Yes, there are fish swimming around with the 'meat!'</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphLF2NnT-k3Gpsw1caiZMt6FcMjUoie_fzWOcXGFuBKdqz23MkZIHFJ4igbxbjeLtVy8QM7vNuG7n_b1TltSEL0ZYmcvzrMuyfCdb2gk9gkHt51PmL3zSzlVPQBcMrAHDSxuY97DlfEwP/s1600/Fremont+Street+Area+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphLF2NnT-k3Gpsw1caiZMt6FcMjUoie_fzWOcXGFuBKdqz23MkZIHFJ4igbxbjeLtVy8QM7vNuG7n_b1TltSEL0ZYmcvzrMuyfCdb2gk9gkHt51PmL3zSzlVPQBcMrAHDSxuY97DlfEwP/s320/Fremont+Street+Area+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">An appetizer one night of tomato soup with cheese and bacon dumplings at <a href="http://www.therapylv.com/" target="_blank">Therapy</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEU6GtYCitNnOEbeTbW0DvTpHybjjdgP3oATj2rGzEuwMsFztMkXYnStbdxIf-3iZq3qZ1adKIzZbJ-ft0axfPBQybQDcFwL_dGcePkkts1FLzo66OjQRgv1pnhZKIanMnlk3bL9F06IsN/s1600/Fremont+Street+Area+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEU6GtYCitNnOEbeTbW0DvTpHybjjdgP3oATj2rGzEuwMsFztMkXYnStbdxIf-3iZq3qZ1adKIzZbJ-ft0axfPBQybQDcFwL_dGcePkkts1FLzo66OjQRgv1pnhZKIanMnlk3bL9F06IsN/s320/Fremont+Street+Area+%25287%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Also at the same restaurant, we split this for dinner- <br />chicken & red velvet waffle sliders. Without a doubt <br />one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten <br />and worth every calorie.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAY2o5Msn9pCHppplizcv1cDkf1hUYWNaTQE8g7rxy20Ktvt0OoeMqBx5iyURCG_9EjaA5EJRZPVUlWCfWDUZt-_EkpKe5eF4OP-UcOEi-iH36a7EYxsRQvxQT8jZ-O9XlLg7f055pFI3S/s1600/Honey+Salt+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAY2o5Msn9pCHppplizcv1cDkf1hUYWNaTQE8g7rxy20Ktvt0OoeMqBx5iyURCG_9EjaA5EJRZPVUlWCfWDUZt-_EkpKe5eF4OP-UcOEi-iH36a7EYxsRQvxQT8jZ-O9XlLg7f055pFI3S/s320/Honey+Salt+%25285%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of my favorite restaurants was <a href="http://honeysalt.com/" target="_blank">Honey Salt</a>. We (yes, Matt too!) enjoyed a <br />delicious appetizer of raw and roasted local fruits and veggies. <br />We clearly needed it after the meal above :P</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdZqbX5LAnY8Ki09hU_94atml8d9qivf6AuvsicoceOpr3FXwe-jxIq-1p-bT8qt0hdhGY0N520bNINajb0yKGm6tshfB_dZOOU88vEOk442-WGIsY_VZVb9M_o7_sPEAoLctSe6ZS9Z7/s1600/Honey+Salt+%25289%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdZqbX5LAnY8Ki09hU_94atml8d9qivf6AuvsicoceOpr3FXwe-jxIq-1p-bT8qt0hdhGY0N520bNINajb0yKGm6tshfB_dZOOU88vEOk442-WGIsY_VZVb9M_o7_sPEAoLctSe6ZS9Z7/s320/Honey+Salt+%25289%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Don't worry, we got dessert at Honey Salt, too. Lemon-blueberry bread pudding.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUqoxkUKVAJ-th7P_EEmE68Wx1UHjyNnEbX1mC7bqHa9ZfbywNqorX0RCHCr0VrQbXUUXsmPAxncSJoLFZHvxqPcYxJS8zWkT94CyIOrgaFKSV4_pyOrt94xNGrUt9W7II7vC-vyS5gBd/s1600/Honey+Salt+%252810%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUqoxkUKVAJ-th7P_EEmE68Wx1UHjyNnEbX1mC7bqHa9ZfbywNqorX0RCHCr0VrQbXUUXsmPAxncSJoLFZHvxqPcYxJS8zWkT94CyIOrgaFKSV4_pyOrt94xNGrUt9W7II7vC-vyS5gBd/s320/Honey+Salt+%252810%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And they celebrated our anniversary by giving us <br />double dessert- double chocolate brownies! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDJonFA2QBTHRCBH-K-BN5CP8XxQeAEY4bD8MlnhI0y1crIp1KHmFvPUEG83HeDNwgo35jgiOc7LQ8mZMDUEG1OI5d-vzTQSgdpc1pSi6Rf0XpQ4hSq9LdDQKWClrxfvV6KYRaNXAY2J5/s1600/Lotus+of+Siam+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDJonFA2QBTHRCBH-K-BN5CP8XxQeAEY4bD8MlnhI0y1crIp1KHmFvPUEG83HeDNwgo35jgiOc7LQ8mZMDUEG1OI5d-vzTQSgdpc1pSi6Rf0XpQ4hSq9LdDQKWClrxfvV6KYRaNXAY2J5/s320/Lotus+of+Siam+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We went to <a href="http://lotusofsiamlv.com/" target="_blank">Lotus of Siam</a>, a popular Thai restaurant off the strip. <br />Dude, they don't hold back the spice. I had a northern Thai dish <br />with chicken and noodles and thought it was spicy.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GoZqvJOYB4V_68dpEQBerrjn_nEBiQG_1HN2_gqvJGtHh_QF8xLqgs6cy3GLyg7gCMiKR0sW5aWBOstf0-dIxt9cSlf6n6UAkprLVylGNxn78NaLxY3s0gccF5uPC107riEM54qS8A52/s1600/Lotus+of+Siam+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GoZqvJOYB4V_68dpEQBerrjn_nEBiQG_1HN2_gqvJGtHh_QF8xLqgs6cy3GLyg7gCMiKR0sW5aWBOstf0-dIxt9cSlf6n6UAkprLVylGNxn78NaLxY3s0gccF5uPC107riEM54qS8A52/s320/Lotus+of+Siam+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Until I had Matt's dish which was also from northern Thailand. This was the <br />epitome of spice but was also delicious! Highly recommend the restaurant!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqenpckacflTpnEyKm0-c9kN4ZBpUqyqum_iHKIaSfFNnI8fPpAzpB3IVOOBYNOMnB7BKlHDylCr-UoQOWTgLQ37b8QsZG6TgDXtiKWaRrDUbdt7d4GmVRHc5eOn2OS5hc7fvlLpu_NrA6/s1600/Mon+Ami+Gabi+Breakfast+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqenpckacflTpnEyKm0-c9kN4ZBpUqyqum_iHKIaSfFNnI8fPpAzpB3IVOOBYNOMnB7BKlHDylCr-UoQOWTgLQ37b8QsZG6TgDXtiKWaRrDUbdt7d4GmVRHc5eOn2OS5hc7fvlLpu_NrA6/s320/Mon+Ami+Gabi+Breakfast+%25287%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So one of the restaurants we had bad luck at for dinner ended up having an <br />amazing brunch (<a href="http://www.monamigabi.com/home/?loc=vegas" target="_blank">Mon Ami Gabi</a>)! This was Matt's breakfast of apple-topped waffles <br />with bacon and maple syrup. So good!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQ2TJNVITNEyIRXPvu0HYVvP9IBqbLmTBlwsgH6GmF3V8Wg88M364aCT8Vkzpa4YwFJYK1Of22dLymECDo4zKre5jMfKlcSzB_a_5MwWzSdgqpUONFpPSRPtK1wMi8fH-cqz1D3SOaKo3/s1600/Seersucker+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQ2TJNVITNEyIRXPvu0HYVvP9IBqbLmTBlwsgH6GmF3V8Wg88M364aCT8Vkzpa4YwFJYK1Of22dLymECDo4zKre5jMfKlcSzB_a_5MwWzSdgqpUONFpPSRPtK1wMi8fH-cqz1D3SOaKo3/s320/Seersucker+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The final restaurant we ate at (and the other lackluster one) <br />was <a href="http://searsucker.com/las-vegas/" target="_blank">Searsucker</a>. Our delicious appetizer consisted <br />of homemade biscuits, honey, and butter</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77yHFOs8INfruxu0isMhokECBGr3sxqeSkiUB1dNvMfLN8n1xE-VoCFE227ekSKiW0p9MtvqVfI51gGe-ImXlawhXkVPRO8jUbvXShq25H3l7YQZadiCQrf56YdVa4MFhER8CgYOAPAZN/s1600/Seersucker+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77yHFOs8INfruxu0isMhokECBGr3sxqeSkiUB1dNvMfLN8n1xE-VoCFE227ekSKiW0p9MtvqVfI51gGe-ImXlawhXkVPRO8jUbvXShq25H3l7YQZadiCQrf56YdVa4MFhER8CgYOAPAZN/s320/Seersucker+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And cookies and milk. Yes, the milk came with the cookies. They <br />were as amazing as they look.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54KdGq-D-ZP843WqJ_MDvJMCbca_3Fk2R0CKC9jY8lGpCXzg0B3eBnDoXrSdN8zgygwB8j2EPRSmq6ch69tCQHVDG15oqWc7d2vAfRfFXoCPD1vGQ-sqPiMd8aZ7C1B9tbqhlInQhGOZ-/s1600/Sprinkles+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54KdGq-D-ZP843WqJ_MDvJMCbca_3Fk2R0CKC9jY8lGpCXzg0B3eBnDoXrSdN8zgygwB8j2EPRSmq6ch69tCQHVDG15oqWc7d2vAfRfFXoCPD1vGQ-sqPiMd8aZ7C1B9tbqhlInQhGOZ-/s320/Sprinkles+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And we finally got to try Sprinkle's cupcakes!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6WS20QvCmsywfH-eSf1hH4e7UON0qTIWR6uvuQjBm-yYlW-xtxua7SVnjbAkbAXhW7dQdaWYDc-sPjTxdiZDVfscWK1syeAaiJzMYu1RGQVzFhTL4ypTrZlUlXFCHosxH9KqwBdCmMukG/s1600/Sprinkles+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6WS20QvCmsywfH-eSf1hH4e7UON0qTIWR6uvuQjBm-yYlW-xtxua7SVnjbAkbAXhW7dQdaWYDc-sPjTxdiZDVfscWK1syeAaiJzMYu1RGQVzFhTL4ypTrZlUlXFCHosxH9KqwBdCmMukG/s320/Sprinkles+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our chocolate-vanilla cupcake was delicious :)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So there you have it, the reason I am spending a little bit more time working out than normal :P We definitely ate well and enjoyed many memorable meals!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I hope you enjoyed this recap and that it helped show there is far more to Vegas than gambling :)</span></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-58875613441472591272016-06-10T06:00:00.000-05:002016-06-10T06:00:07.183-05:00Vegas: The Other Activities<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Because the other posts were getting long, I decided to make a third post with other things we did. Yes, we fit in a lot in 1 week- I'm exhausted just typing all of it! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>High Roller</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Since 2014, Vegas has been able to boast that it has the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, standing at 550 feet tall. We went on a ride around 4 PM and ended up having an entire cabin to ourselves! The entire ride lasted for about 30 minutes and we were able to get a deal by purchasing the tickets online versus at the ticket office, so be sure to do that if you're going. The views were amazing and I definitely recommend it!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super excited to have our own cabin!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Top Golf</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While we do have Top Golfs in DFW, we had yet to do it together. Additionally, the one in Vegas had just opened a couple of weeks prior to our arrival, so it seemed like a great opportunity. Top Golf essentially combines golf with skee-ball-- you try to hit your ball into one of several targets down range. It is insanely fun, even for non-golfers like me!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a bad view!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Atomic Testing Museum</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I don't have too many pictures from this, but after we went to the Hoover Dam we went to the <a href="http://nationalatomictestingmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Atomic Testing Museum</a>. Las Vegas is very close to the Nevada Test Site, so it was a natural location for this very interesting museum. It walks you through the history of atomic weapons and testing and has several interactive exhibits. We both really enjoyed it and would recommend it (look for a Groupon for admission- makes it that much cheaper). </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLOuOilDnBlGyM3XKQ30H4XHLi0e3bwASTkq1I5bMtVNF_dVESHu8w4du-aXdLOrkWpx6c5aS8n4yXOpOYpe9G2lvHCPppNpWJO9CxC_BBAPRCDIVqnoXtgh2jp2lqL-E9b8MB1xQX9YK/s1600/Atomic+Testing+Museum+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLOuOilDnBlGyM3XKQ30H4XHLi0e3bwASTkq1I5bMtVNF_dVESHu8w4du-aXdLOrkWpx6c5aS8n4yXOpOYpe9G2lvHCPppNpWJO9CxC_BBAPRCDIVqnoXtgh2jp2lqL-E9b8MB1xQX9YK/s320/Atomic+Testing+Museum+%25283%2529.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Have to know how to defend yourself from radioactive fallout while you're on the farm!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I promise, this is the last of the activity-related posts. But I hope you see how many different things there are to do in this city :)</span></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-58448188765699027642016-06-09T06:00:00.000-05:002016-06-09T06:00:16.407-05:00Vegas: The Indoor Activities<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While we did have an amazing time hiking, we also really enjoyed the time we spent indoors. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Hoover Dam</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Since we were so close, we had to go to the Hoover Dam! It was about a 45 minute drive from our condo and we got there about 30 minutes before it opened at 9. I am so glad we did because there was already a line out the door of the visitor center! While you can go to the dam and just pay for parking, if you want to go into the power plant and/or the dam, you have to book a tour. The power plant tour is about 30 minutes long and you can book ahead of time. However, if you want the tour of the dam (which includes the power plant tour), you have to buy it the day of and those tickets are very limited. We were probably within the first 20 families through the door but we were already on the second dam tour of the day! Regardless, it was very well worth it both from what we got to see and what we learned. Did you know that despite what rumors say, there are no bodies buried in the dam? Bodies would have ruined the structural integrity of the wall so they made sure to get the bodies out!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUqKMz0QiGrLTNHeBsVf1INFazdtsbUa0CRMp3klIiNpXl23TaISaSvvKkoE2DAUmX_5m0oN00J2Sw8XM-qzxVF_P54XtWlGqt-QDrc56P12CdYrlosNfFzuKmXHCyIiqsKOOcu1JMRs4/s1600/Hoover+Dam+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUqKMz0QiGrLTNHeBsVf1INFazdtsbUa0CRMp3klIiNpXl23TaISaSvvKkoE2DAUmX_5m0oN00J2Sw8XM-qzxVF_P54XtWlGqt-QDrc56P12CdYrlosNfFzuKmXHCyIiqsKOOcu1JMRs4/s320/Hoover+Dam+%25285%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Line to enter the visitor's center before it opened </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjG3nl1MQXRFQI2JCy8aVy7Y_Ji92UVGHnWtuOl6YRiMLPUYTRSxQu_XVbTRjUOdEaanATC6vX6OfHUw3LyIUrektQE_Ei9BKW9SgjcYipHwu-myIbxuc1H0WMGMZIzarGDl1cTNpckbJF/s1600/Hoover+Dam+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjG3nl1MQXRFQI2JCy8aVy7Y_Ji92UVGHnWtuOl6YRiMLPUYTRSxQu_XVbTRjUOdEaanATC6vX6OfHUw3LyIUrektQE_Ei9BKW9SgjcYipHwu-myIbxuc1H0WMGMZIzarGDl1cTNpckbJF/s320/Hoover+Dam+%25287%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking at the dam with Lake Mead behind it</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuh5qqm1zoXOZ6HfDtYrC3uaHTmDfAmyrlDGLXlav6v6uycSgg2HmC5DZTPVXL6Adeq67dwclckjQOPhifWuyiELgouesdS4agZ4DvBRYPRfH4nu7U5ks66lyk4gf-8OPh2XYtUdi0OQvI/s1600/Hoover+Dam+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuh5qqm1zoXOZ6HfDtYrC3uaHTmDfAmyrlDGLXlav6v6uycSgg2HmC5DZTPVXL6Adeq67dwclckjQOPhifWuyiELgouesdS4agZ4DvBRYPRfH4nu7U5ks66lyk4gf-8OPh2XYtUdi0OQvI/s320/Hoover+Dam+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down at the power plant area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JC_7jYlrXgDFyY0UK11eZGrCfIx9dxczch_ItqVp0N1n5nXCtN2R1MnafnGn2rU834mIVoS10dprX5TBEjHRSwwqDXzK_G6U18aL3HHHpIjgYMm0kKrGE2T76UjlOQQoJiYDJDH1255u/s1600/Hoover+Dam+%252818%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JC_7jYlrXgDFyY0UK11eZGrCfIx9dxczch_ItqVp0N1n5nXCtN2R1MnafnGn2rU834mIVoS10dprX5TBEjHRSwwqDXzK_G6U18aL3HHHpIjgYMm0kKrGE2T76UjlOQQoJiYDJDH1255u/s320/Hoover+Dam+%252818%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was one of two tunnels used to divert the water but is now being used for the power plant</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8DVcu1HjQyvLbW8GN3s2g_3kdCylBVy4Fzsp8lmy-Gj9IRoaF9a2KrJoJlfw7bgwJE5h7wtIiZMsNmQ-Z0qWJQrWrPfadTfdDKfLxzJQsIxtOZMeiM_WVZ6sqI1SdUOYTto7ZIFQ-JMx/s1600/Hoover+Dam+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8DVcu1HjQyvLbW8GN3s2g_3kdCylBVy4Fzsp8lmy-Gj9IRoaF9a2KrJoJlfw7bgwJE5h7wtIiZMsNmQ-Z0qWJQrWrPfadTfdDKfLxzJQsIxtOZMeiM_WVZ6sqI1SdUOYTto7ZIFQ-JMx/s320/Hoover+Dam+%252821%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Power plant turbines</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmxdKfGFkvX83me79ler6vIv6ySTJYzFqBiDqfoYgNSs0fb6cfOoeXlmvc1bigBtEfbpV-aBW47Da2S0B5Lh5nOeIhyphenhyphen87n_8QTU_SqIr7vgg7ndDpRpGMu5VNM6z-JRthfBFa7ys79P-v/s1600/Hoover+Dam+%252832%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmxdKfGFkvX83me79ler6vIv6ySTJYzFqBiDqfoYgNSs0fb6cfOoeXlmvc1bigBtEfbpV-aBW47Da2S0B5Lh5nOeIhyphenhyphen87n_8QTU_SqIr7vgg7ndDpRpGMu5VNM6z-JRthfBFa7ys79P-v/s320/Hoover+Dam+%252832%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is 1 of 4 vents on the face of the dam </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHb7_eWYo70m-k-8rLQCbBsIYnHjS-OCcv06PNBQtFllKHb4HE84wPM9lnFkEMKmjDloRtA3sejHBUIsYDkR0qQOyzzx6OaeQb1j6oz2opWU6TmLn5MW_-cxh-Qclhhm6z1ZmVb8zx25mO/s1600/Hoover+Dam+%252833%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHb7_eWYo70m-k-8rLQCbBsIYnHjS-OCcv06PNBQtFllKHb4HE84wPM9lnFkEMKmjDloRtA3sejHBUIsYDkR0qQOyzzx6OaeQb1j6oz2opWU6TmLn5MW_-cxh-Qclhhm6z1ZmVb8zx25mO/s320/Hoover+Dam+%252833%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is the view from that vent!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeopxnEO5jzGUCAbH9A2oM_VCg2ljdXxAQffeyk-ROtswc60-leZaJ3p9Z1I-PDGUqmLLhhwn4aHu3I178gl4pEGeRObJq7__GFnRXiEjFcxGRRAiDfNlCF1ZyoIW3rmiyq74FdWCxMJh9/s1600/Hoover+Dam+%252836%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeopxnEO5jzGUCAbH9A2oM_VCg2ljdXxAQffeyk-ROtswc60-leZaJ3p9Z1I-PDGUqmLLhhwn4aHu3I178gl4pEGeRObJq7__GFnRXiEjFcxGRRAiDfNlCF1ZyoIW3rmiyq74FdWCxMJh9/s320/Hoover+Dam+%252836%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many long hallways!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_d5KN4pcajv_XyRoQq29M5ZGauTkgripMTFrbTGlEyRBGvkVpFF3ydyDxaJ5n1erstC8UPOa1oH3K6y-5MgbRFX4okvmvrRAtRzn6fYbTZbdE_Q2wOaBD0z0WHnK55pjKNeWCMx7FQncG/s1600/Hoover+Dam+%252852%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_d5KN4pcajv_XyRoQq29M5ZGauTkgripMTFrbTGlEyRBGvkVpFF3ydyDxaJ5n1erstC8UPOa1oH3K6y-5MgbRFX4okvmvrRAtRzn6fYbTZbdE_Q2wOaBD0z0WHnK55pjKNeWCMx7FQncG/s320/Hoover+Dam+%252852%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing on top of the dam, looking towards Lake Mead</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGmP4nJJS4EnQ3-eaJcTiBbQzN-m2tPMuhDhH4K0kI20XgA3nS5BuMWzuRoLEuXHM5-LdtY3z8SymjolaF6302r9Witsao751AFuXTBnYVEvwnq7Cfa92k_gItbcq9YWvmx1u99kdsGlj/s1600/Hoover+Dam+%252858%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGmP4nJJS4EnQ3-eaJcTiBbQzN-m2tPMuhDhH4K0kI20XgA3nS5BuMWzuRoLEuXHM5-LdtY3z8SymjolaF6302r9Witsao751AFuXTBnYVEvwnq7Cfa92k_gItbcq9YWvmx1u99kdsGlj/s320/Hoover+Dam+%252858%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing on the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHMCCF4d-EkmRq8TZY4xmXx8yGXFD1DxBxTa8aEaq9ncLBikb9VY73PbtjZGertuhH_QPmByu_Sy89GDgPxWQk3t2rnIVreci55cf7CHWYkXGTBhfk3YRXzV-D1JiejCvpi42lNrWKQ9L/s1600/Hoover+Dam+%252862%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHMCCF4d-EkmRq8TZY4xmXx8yGXFD1DxBxTa8aEaq9ncLBikb9VY73PbtjZGertuhH_QPmByu_Sy89GDgPxWQk3t2rnIVreci55cf7CHWYkXGTBhfk3YRXzV-D1JiejCvpi42lNrWKQ9L/s320/Hoover+Dam+%252862%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Battlefield Vegas</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For part of Matt's anniversary gift (though I certainly enjoyed it, too!), we went shooting at <a href="http://www.battlefieldvegas.com/" target="_blank">Battlefield Vegas</a>. This gave us the chance to shoot guns we had never shot before in both semi-automatic and automatic modes. We chose a package deal where we got to shoot a MP5, an Uzi, a M4, and an AK-47. I'm not going to lie, there was a little bit of bruising on our shoulders after shooting the AK-47 in automatic (and I only did that for 15 rounds or so), but it was an experience I won't soon forget! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_u1pceXXwAjllEdA9-fJRJg1kxHP_fj0jUvqtsLZtu1SquXWF1aWAHi1ebSGYADhnYd_yVUtlXNuATpZBLfGMu4GFThff0s8lNsl18eyFYffD82HSRV3cNV_jLLm-1pqNusDOR-m5D4qN/s1600/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_u1pceXXwAjllEdA9-fJRJg1kxHP_fj0jUvqtsLZtu1SquXWF1aWAHi1ebSGYADhnYd_yVUtlXNuATpZBLfGMu4GFThff0s8lNsl18eyFYffD82HSRV3cNV_jLLm-1pqNusDOR-m5D4qN/s320/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With our buzzer waiting for them to get our guns ready</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5D7JFftwnQJr7bD7YVIcWHQok0UzRAHDM89aTl9kvGgueMzWo7FJ6lGfZSRUGc2n4IL-b_lXrip3wpSl5N5_TIL430NE-_skD9DcAgOmukO-Y-R34wSZNbsw5veMwBSIR7K16s1zLV3u/s1600/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5D7JFftwnQJr7bD7YVIcWHQok0UzRAHDM89aTl9kvGgueMzWo7FJ6lGfZSRUGc2n4IL-b_lXrip3wpSl5N5_TIL430NE-_skD9DcAgOmukO-Y-R34wSZNbsw5veMwBSIR7K16s1zLV3u/s320/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%25285%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiEipvysWSGoFCZgeJXbJZUshchdO4VyVTYlRlpxMNVmXIryLb8J-KXdThtalaq3zBJkro19yTl5OquPCEPEnsj2Eb4iDdFGJ7cLidvx_gtkC8y536vhIXNqvuKnPHYkCbXvmCK4k8qNW/s1600/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiEipvysWSGoFCZgeJXbJZUshchdO4VyVTYlRlpxMNVmXIryLb8J-KXdThtalaq3zBJkro19yTl5OquPCEPEnsj2Eb4iDdFGJ7cLidvx_gtkC8y536vhIXNqvuKnPHYkCbXvmCK4k8qNW/s320/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%252813%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The MP5</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPajdR9Z7XXCdGIUFG8GeMQcDly5W55flcyNeT9D0aB50ClChG6l6yTc5utqhW5gGh1RPq8ib9Je3wAQMRMU2sXDcmBY2seMkToaYOHZaP1mX17WmTZaZmI59phHVWfQ_IuGja9T47N-t/s1600/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%252828%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPajdR9Z7XXCdGIUFG8GeMQcDly5W55flcyNeT9D0aB50ClChG6l6yTc5utqhW5gGh1RPq8ib9Je3wAQMRMU2sXDcmBY2seMkToaYOHZaP1mX17WmTZaZmI59phHVWfQ_IuGja9T47N-t/s320/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%252828%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AK-47</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5u0pDlJwg6wUMI-ZJkeI9pHdLyX2QApBFj92gMRWXGwS-yBBHMpZz6gn2me-6FxibasXg67eFD4OTXTWFBommOjV2EE8sT3e6f64nvzBwPl4Aw7wubZpC3QQudJH7PhrGyTYjlzvJvQ5j/s1600/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%252836%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5u0pDlJwg6wUMI-ZJkeI9pHdLyX2QApBFj92gMRWXGwS-yBBHMpZz6gn2me-6FxibasXg67eFD4OTXTWFBommOjV2EE8sT3e6f64nvzBwPl4Aw7wubZpC3QQudJH7PhrGyTYjlzvJvQ5j/s320/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%252836%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MP5</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhsJTy3jUZhaQdpCK8ENPeBjKm3jAwkQ8Qa9g6UqPgeeRMgx5SJaj-Q300GuS4DOBticNSReBPctntzvYfVBld5IwHm40xciXMf0jHBXjgn3sERdbptdla1tFVux0njU8mrys6nFdDraU/s1600/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%252842%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhsJTy3jUZhaQdpCK8ENPeBjKm3jAwkQ8Qa9g6UqPgeeRMgx5SJaj-Q300GuS4DOBticNSReBPctntzvYfVBld5IwHm40xciXMf0jHBXjgn3sERdbptdla1tFVux0njU8mrys6nFdDraU/s320/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%252842%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M4</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mUT4-yMTkjylWjiaAmDh-hD2nhIG8Z5-uFUm7fPXbDiKEFAIc3czHRMP_1GaKR62x8tlaqYVTnT5m6nV4L24Pn2zXZ7e5Bnbs0tGDGLxcYtHojgK4XHR9cDBOhlqL3l16lRTUEKbxVt8/s1600/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%252843%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mUT4-yMTkjylWjiaAmDh-hD2nhIG8Z5-uFUm7fPXbDiKEFAIc3czHRMP_1GaKR62x8tlaqYVTnT5m6nV4L24Pn2zXZ7e5Bnbs0tGDGLxcYtHojgK4XHR9cDBOhlqL3l16lRTUEKbxVt8/s320/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%252843%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkHSAnOk-6JNinXZDLrp9jivKlIIoqHfVq7u_ORxtoxHUKPU29g06iiN5giaeDTFWknsbUy7alHB2MvXUmtmpwBJ2usGakzILaeqlrNNHeIi1RSCfcrkG290q5cBsD0ZdVY7OQGyYJkKy/s1600/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%252855%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkHSAnOk-6JNinXZDLrp9jivKlIIoqHfVq7u_ORxtoxHUKPU29g06iiN5giaeDTFWknsbUy7alHB2MvXUmtmpwBJ2usGakzILaeqlrNNHeIi1RSCfcrkG290q5cBsD0ZdVY7OQGyYJkKy/s320/Battlefield+Las+Vegas+%252855%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And of course the AK-47</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Shows</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We did do some more stereotypical Vegas things and went to a couple of Cirque du Solei shows, specifically <a href="https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/KA" target="_blank">Ka</a> and <a href="https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/beatles-love" target="_blank">Beatles LOVE</a>. Both shows were absolutely amazing though for different reasons. While LOVE centered around the music of the Beatles and was much more dancing-oriented, Ka featured a stage that could literally move in every single direction and was much more acrobatic in nature (here's a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT9CXr2o5ME" target="_blank">trailer </a>so you can get a sense of the stage). If you are a fan of the Beatles, I would recommend that to you, but otherwise Ka may be a better choice if you can only see one. I look forward to seeing some of their other shows as the production value is unlike anything I've seen before!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeITl51JVOesddh7Er0bGrzGfgaPlPN2pRbgUTaSg-pIOFf-vshZfFfT1t7czX5iEvGR_WMcKs_7Twls2zbK4VcC0B3C4G1VcJV1HZmb6AqXrAAuRaazsyfRdP6AsiTd7-5-PHmAnmSH_E/s1600/Love+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeITl51JVOesddh7Er0bGrzGfgaPlPN2pRbgUTaSg-pIOFf-vshZfFfT1t7czX5iEvGR_WMcKs_7Twls2zbK4VcC0B3C4G1VcJV1HZmb6AqXrAAuRaazsyfRdP6AsiTd7-5-PHmAnmSH_E/s320/Love+%25283%2529.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JcSFuBht-SWgMhJs5W59zADoIXn7V60lJIb4KB1irBXW3dBKr5PuolTfxOC05AWKYXHn-JcDJk3cCIstrK9jZTH0mfg_AiJCo619hzrnszYbx8DgN9pWuz_-c68IAVsxkEJ61azt4YfR/s1600/Love+%25289%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JcSFuBht-SWgMhJs5W59zADoIXn7V60lJIb4KB1irBXW3dBKr5PuolTfxOC05AWKYXHn-JcDJk3cCIstrK9jZTH0mfg_AiJCo619hzrnszYbx8DgN9pWuz_-c68IAVsxkEJ61azt4YfR/s320/Love+%25289%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our amazing view!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Wandering</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was technically both an indoor & outdoor activity, but I had to put it somewhere. We found we really enjoyed exploring the strip and the casinos/shopping areas, particularly in the morning hours before it was crowded. We found an amazing store that housed only rare books (think those signed by Thomas Jefferson, first editions of classic works, etc.) that would be any bibliophile's dream. The level of detail that was put into the buildings was also pretty astounding, so it just made for a fun and unique place to walk around. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglM6m4PoH8YaksMF_GxKCd4yFxeIcBHHcb-P_z703UgNKiT_V8yilAIpQ9bnliXBrOEPAN3Glx4dF2CZ7Ab5rOMZI0NR3SupYjH-JOiNfm7kwWggUBcCNmgCxU-cw78Y32xICTiHV3Aq0u/s1600/The+Strip+%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglM6m4PoH8YaksMF_GxKCd4yFxeIcBHHcb-P_z703UgNKiT_V8yilAIpQ9bnliXBrOEPAN3Glx4dF2CZ7Ab5rOMZI0NR3SupYjH-JOiNfm7kwWggUBcCNmgCxU-cw78Y32xICTiHV3Aq0u/s320/The+Strip+%25288%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">An amazing flower sculpture inside one of the hotel/casinos</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwaSVyVuaVzlhtjR8W09-nDGFvSErlLT3r9WUD8n24jdBGx367CHGOMgCiS_S9evmNbmfJ4JAyQD4ZFM4EnITcUYwz9zM88g0jIrssuMWzPuT8739mjnQIopHJ0nfjmG3SommXqsltSdnd/s1600/The+Strip+%252818%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwaSVyVuaVzlhtjR8W09-nDGFvSErlLT3r9WUD8n24jdBGx367CHGOMgCiS_S9evmNbmfJ4JAyQD4ZFM4EnITcUYwz9zM88g0jIrssuMWzPuT8739mjnQIopHJ0nfjmG3SommXqsltSdnd/s320/The+Strip+%252818%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is undoubtedly beautiful at night!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvORoJ5DcOabKdljwDYf4V7Rh1RDjIfMhC8stxH5WDhRPBXsefLzQXyavBJGxt-Y1SbRLwKSkLLKjizaTXgoGgt7w1RC4Em4lVDdbzZMCFdBS_O-BRMdGge4mdHXDVVX_e2zyVQGZS89V/s1600/The+Strip+%252823%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvORoJ5DcOabKdljwDYf4V7Rh1RDjIfMhC8stxH5WDhRPBXsefLzQXyavBJGxt-Y1SbRLwKSkLLKjizaTXgoGgt7w1RC4Em4lVDdbzZMCFdBS_O-BRMdGge4mdHXDVVX_e2zyVQGZS89V/s320/The+Strip+%252823%2529.JPG" width="213" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Inside the shopping area of Ceasar's </span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HiS7jAkY1LfsBKtT7JF0HRuY86i2Up_WunkQ4WaSDBL4Nc1YM59Yb5WK33tlKJmNnqIOUhFsJ1UACB6-QNlu7lp1_PW6-q24N9YFUY6ThfmZJqe9qxd6Cdc06QkcB3fzB-wK3mAn8DFa/s1600/The+Strip+%252827%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HiS7jAkY1LfsBKtT7JF0HRuY86i2Up_WunkQ4WaSDBL4Nc1YM59Yb5WK33tlKJmNnqIOUhFsJ1UACB6-QNlu7lp1_PW6-q24N9YFUY6ThfmZJqe9qxd6Cdc06QkcB3fzB-wK3mAn8DFa/s320/The+Strip+%252827%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gb7b9viGbdsvr44r6u7qp0T_SNguffsP0Tdb2_RuMP71XzfVNXv75ltQckEqs5Bvpdb0gU0cSQN1hz-LXDsjiC4ebVSlvgJ_zoWMjBi1X2bJF33MEYZxanimgDlYYQtbBBMwGppK1PXf/s1600/The+Strip+%252829%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gb7b9viGbdsvr44r6u7qp0T_SNguffsP0Tdb2_RuMP71XzfVNXv75ltQckEqs5Bvpdb0gU0cSQN1hz-LXDsjiC4ebVSlvgJ_zoWMjBi1X2bJF33MEYZxanimgDlYYQtbBBMwGppK1PXf/s320/The+Strip+%252829%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7z4rvIoUwQsNirxKIfVZPINuKmqdwKFxLZ_YSGso5c502LYFYfgn5U867knbRhg0l3DDFiSUF2hX8mWTtFEC1vxffhG-PM23lENmpdPUwq7EpGK2lKV8D10s8blBxVwTQp2rjWTSG24jD/s1600/The+Strip+%252832%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7z4rvIoUwQsNirxKIfVZPINuKmqdwKFxLZ_YSGso5c502LYFYfgn5U867knbRhg0l3DDFiSUF2hX8mWTtFEC1vxffhG-PM23lENmpdPUwq7EpGK2lKV8D10s8blBxVwTQp2rjWTSG24jD/s320/The+Strip+%252832%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Outside the Bellagio</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGen4u8k_ekw_3lZqRGYWDo0W3Cv2ZlcMOn8yYOYtodJmopDvNNzmZ53cxbBr6okT7t1Pv4RVg6bNZAwuTLHZBotU7SlFFLrrW4x0O7ddUXjdn6rpBEEB6MBDZJ6lL9CeSq9xdQxHF4CK-/s1600/The+Strip+%252840%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGen4u8k_ekw_3lZqRGYWDo0W3Cv2ZlcMOn8yYOYtodJmopDvNNzmZ53cxbBr6okT7t1Pv4RVg6bNZAwuTLHZBotU7SlFFLrrW4x0O7ddUXjdn6rpBEEB6MBDZJ6lL9CeSq9xdQxHF4CK-/s320/The+Strip+%252840%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Inside the Bellagio they also had sculptures made from plants and flowers</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqT48vIuFeg9IKAKWzc29HW_oMAcllpnVN2e4fjgKNvXPctFGwiU03igdlFklJWauSYJtpeWAlRoPDuh_TwM318uIG8J9zQxIw2kSfgq44gzkZy4x13Zjf4GLa8fo4XqCv-0BtfSJtwUv/s1600/The+Strip+%252842%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqT48vIuFeg9IKAKWzc29HW_oMAcllpnVN2e4fjgKNvXPctFGwiU03igdlFklJWauSYJtpeWAlRoPDuh_TwM318uIG8J9zQxIw2kSfgq44gzkZy4x13Zjf4GLa8fo4XqCv-0BtfSJtwUv/s320/The+Strip+%252842%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFS4aTqLIoE8VYLOZiy2cdowFe-4Dbk_c3z2rfSxf_5kIuip9E2gPCRb2-YUiiC0VM-oC2eUDNeaGtF4buIHLrMlJ_Q0Gc-Lb1JFzIVcqa20pCTV_w1B7G0-OvziWkalNcHdIfvYAm2U4/s1600/The+Strip+%252852%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFS4aTqLIoE8VYLOZiy2cdowFe-4Dbk_c3z2rfSxf_5kIuip9E2gPCRb2-YUiiC0VM-oC2eUDNeaGtF4buIHLrMlJ_Q0Gc-Lb1JFzIVcqa20pCTV_w1B7G0-OvziWkalNcHdIfvYAm2U4/s320/The+Strip+%252852%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Because who doesn't love chocolate?</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgtH8QUC1ZkK_NphxAhtkpdrisMMvc-EF-jGvZfQOJ_eDlPNYnsRydB31eCAcw-fjJaZPz9GSdJZMk5Umc-2ozlW84sCTCFlBi3m16GISLcpGJbcN71He9JoCBFBPm9rd9W-E6f9Hm79j/s1600/The+Strip+%252862%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgtH8QUC1ZkK_NphxAhtkpdrisMMvc-EF-jGvZfQOJ_eDlPNYnsRydB31eCAcw-fjJaZPz9GSdJZMk5Umc-2ozlW84sCTCFlBi3m16GISLcpGJbcN71He9JoCBFBPm9rd9W-E6f9Hm79j/s320/The+Strip+%252862%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSCiZl-4tnO3R5pw6LfUaGew53WMyd5n9pKuEKJAO1Ih6mnb_nkaemqS9enW_xsq1hgnBwXgWNkgg_T_me_6rwnFTyAAjsM1OnZNJ4Q4Od6p8UXTSfqomKgEV5vzUfa1CgV__Qpvt5yjW/s1600/The+Strip+%252864%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSCiZl-4tnO3R5pw6LfUaGew53WMyd5n9pKuEKJAO1Ih6mnb_nkaemqS9enW_xsq1hgnBwXgWNkgg_T_me_6rwnFTyAAjsM1OnZNJ4Q4Od6p8UXTSfqomKgEV5vzUfa1CgV__Qpvt5yjW/s320/The+Strip+%252864%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is the rare bookstore mentioned above</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Are you exhausted yet? We did fit a lot into our week but we did take some time to relax. We both read several books that were non-work related, which hasn't happened in a long time!</span></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-55234827890112662582016-06-08T06:00:00.000-05:002016-06-08T06:00:01.216-05:00Vegas: The Outdoor Activities<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As most of you know Matt & I in real life, you would probably not consider us the typical Vegas person. We don't gamble. We're not huge drinkers. We don't party. The stereotypical Vegas would not fit our idea of a good time. But after talking with my family and some of our good friends who had been before we learned that there is so much more to the area than partying and gambling. So, without further ado, here is the first of two posts outlining what we did do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After going to the Smoky Mountains a couple of times, we have found we really enjoy hiking, so we knew we wanted to go somewhere that would include a lot of day hiking opportunities (neither of us are campers). We were able to fit in 3 hiking days into our itinerary, none of which were more than a 1-hour drive from our hotel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Red Rocks Canyon National Conservation Area</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The first place we went to was about 30 minutes west of the strip and really lived up to its name! It reminded me a lot of Hueco Tanks outside of El Paso as there were lots of rocks to scramble over and between. As the temperature was forecasted to get pretty bad after 12, we did a series of shorter hikes in the morning and enjoyed a picnic lunch before heading back. Overall it was really fun and I would love to go back in cooler weather so we can do some of the longer trails.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoMOj9CrilNJp4fqLOo1cwITmv0KsD9Iis4bb1A5rbHQBr5tH-PhJ7U0b6ULflHsO8FhyG2MFji4qQncCUj2cumum_2RQ2dCqI4bJHDn0ZMkWVi8vEr_QFVK-5GbJtUeTObLpcSO3H2SR/s1600/Red+Rock+Canyon+%252851%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoMOj9CrilNJp4fqLOo1cwITmv0KsD9Iis4bb1A5rbHQBr5tH-PhJ7U0b6ULflHsO8FhyG2MFji4qQncCUj2cumum_2RQ2dCqI4bJHDn0ZMkWVi8vEr_QFVK-5GbJtUeTObLpcSO3H2SR/s320/Red+Rock+Canyon+%252851%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There were two cowboys riding horses on our trail, <br />with a dog running beside them. I felt out-Texaned :)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Valley of Fire State Park</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While we didn't get to do nearly as much hiking here as would have liked (it was already above 90 degrees by 9 AM), the scenery was absolutely gorgeous and so unique. This was the first state park in Nevada and featured several distinct rock formations, petroglyphs, and petrified logs.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPzjMeaPTVkE9KHLRlYMByWrGlOet1Cs6ps6gcxxsdwQrMZOshioZlJw9rrquoVjYmZ7ci-khS9DqjFCVMT58YqfHCoYnZj50kfJd8FkbAA15mgG3YDaFS-QBNFEm2g1PetiTUNJMLw1N/s1600/Valley+of+Fire+%252865%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPzjMeaPTVkE9KHLRlYMByWrGlOet1Cs6ps6gcxxsdwQrMZOshioZlJw9rrquoVjYmZ7ci-khS9DqjFCVMT58YqfHCoYnZj50kfJd8FkbAA15mgG3YDaFS-QBNFEm2g1PetiTUNJMLw1N/s320/Valley+of+Fire+%252865%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I learned the panoramic setting on my new camera at this park. <br />Hopefully you can click this image to make it bigger.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMMXWX-BFJ0I1M5AxT2jM8xEu7QkeskrgDc3zsmaMCl38NNU6IG9YCmFBDFv_m6vfkWVbGIWpe3AzdLtiu0I8G9EFltzDfNLM1cYPTvwni4QK4yT6UwwWiIIX9VmAiDwmqkKiIpVAFJpb/s1600/Valley+of+Fire+%252839%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMMXWX-BFJ0I1M5AxT2jM8xEu7QkeskrgDc3zsmaMCl38NNU6IG9YCmFBDFv_m6vfkWVbGIWpe3AzdLtiu0I8G9EFltzDfNLM1cYPTvwni4QK4yT6UwwWiIIX9VmAiDwmqkKiIpVAFJpb/s320/Valley+of+Fire+%252839%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We saw so many lizards! See if you can spot him</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Mt. Charleston and the Spring Mountains</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was definitely my favorite place we went to our entire trip. I had no idea that I was going to see snow-covered mountains when I went to Las Vegas in late May, but sure enough there it was! We went here on our last full day when the heat was at its worst (when we left the city at 7 AM, it was already 88 degrees and quickly climbing) and the timing couldn't have been better since it was about 15 degrees cooler in the mountains! We did two amazing hikes up some of the 'smaller' mountains and enjoyed the best views of the trip. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Approaching the mountains on our drive</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Finally at the top!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">[Hopefully] Click on the image to enlarge</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9BRo_Zc-PP_kYyohOyHNSGJTs9tEGbEp1HCgGThdaawtIbrAirxWPFBXTrsICdyTMJ2wWRT1yT5ifECM5id4TNImVKDlhrO8U0qKJ5cv__R3mATjqmLDx7yqVuiUXr6B0y8nYM42LY3u/s1600/Mt+Charleston+%252825%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9BRo_Zc-PP_kYyohOyHNSGJTs9tEGbEp1HCgGThdaawtIbrAirxWPFBXTrsICdyTMJ2wWRT1yT5ifECM5id4TNImVKDlhrO8U0qKJ5cv__R3mATjqmLDx7yqVuiUXr6B0y8nYM42LY3u/s320/Mt+Charleston+%252825%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Self-timer + bench :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At the top of our second hike, the Mary Jane Falls trail.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94vZ0VjYrfGUPr9oHf7h8F56WSAnr-aLO9masbPVZlZmUi_XD2ozsM27yY0BUMsChVuPg84wc7jP2tnrHxwilL4qBj2Ey_eVcK7Ec3yvgN4pY4xRXMbCe_-3_47zrkMQbBXkpCKZhlI95/s1600/Mt+Charleston+%252852%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94vZ0VjYrfGUPr9oHf7h8F56WSAnr-aLO9masbPVZlZmUi_XD2ozsM27yY0BUMsChVuPg84wc7jP2tnrHxwilL4qBj2Ey_eVcK7Ec3yvgN4pY4xRXMbCe_-3_47zrkMQbBXkpCKZhlI95/s320/Mt+Charleston+%252852%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While the falls weren't much to look at...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The view on the other side was amazing!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Have I convinced you yet to go? There is so much we didn't do at each of these parks and we can't wait to go back!</span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-29289154673105108762016-06-07T06:00:00.000-05:002016-06-07T06:00:14.324-05:00Vegas: The Logistics<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since we were gone for a week and I took over 500 photos, I knew I would have to split up the blog posts to make it easier to get through. This first day is going to focus on the logistics, and then I will share about our activities (hiking, museums, shows, etc.). That may end up being 2 posts because we did do so much. Finally I will also share the delicious food we enjoyed because food is an important part of our vacations :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, logistics. I know this is normally not that exciting but since we were flying to Vegas on our actual anniversary, we decided to upgrade our seats to first class! This decision really ended up working out well. Normally with domestic flights the first class doesn't seem too terribly different than coach (i.e. a little bit more leg room, a free meal, free drinks), but we somehow got one of the newer planes and it had the seats that were basically lazy-boys! There was nothing better than sitting back, putting our feet up, and reading for a few hours. Great way to start the trip!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see our feet propped up in the background. And <br />my feet are covered by a blanket. I was also freezing. <br />I highly recommend that book (and author), by the way. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyTWOyIGonhUmuLjVkhRVAaQ8JrvhOgn8xOvBOYLirMzmITjBCCB2W7xiEMEPGQ9RalaiJ3xu-yXqYvuwSlo8qyxi-KUuChBqdvQUkmNj7IHoYzDgX4zKOZKhCau23kplgB85uOULny1j/s1600/First+Class+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyTWOyIGonhUmuLjVkhRVAaQ8JrvhOgn8xOvBOYLirMzmITjBCCB2W7xiEMEPGQ9RalaiJ3xu-yXqYvuwSlo8qyxi-KUuChBqdvQUkmNj7IHoYzDgX4zKOZKhCau23kplgB85uOULny1j/s320/First+Class+%25285%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our delicious breakfast. Seriously. It was pretty good!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We knew we would have to get a rental car, so at my parents' suggestion we looked at Costco's website and again lucked out. The cheapest car was a convertible. It was at least $50 cheaper than the compact sedan! We of course jumped at that opportunity and were able to rent a Mustang for $200 for an entire week. Definitely a great deal and a really fun car! It is not practical for day-to-day life by any means (only one of our suitcases could fit in the trunk), but it was perfect for the trip.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside Battlefield: Vegas</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHQSVGlO61CMSWRZ-wpCryRfzOSNCJuMzq9Gi7VbDOGW2zMhveEc8i8BykyJ_1osqaTsxYcRvObqoPlnlqaopcsfsOrCrPN_N0X87SpImgIC0flDjm1eVt2i3awt1su5uG0u3b9mi7kMD/s1600/Red+Rock+Canyon+%252860%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHQSVGlO61CMSWRZ-wpCryRfzOSNCJuMzq9Gi7VbDOGW2zMhveEc8i8BykyJ_1osqaTsxYcRvObqoPlnlqaopcsfsOrCrPN_N0X87SpImgIC0flDjm1eVt2i3awt1su5uG0u3b9mi7kMD/s320/Red+Rock+Canyon+%252860%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am quite a focused driver.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZplyjXZyglnNQvFaqv1yosztVmqjZ7fIlwFCrErkqHLXoLEeTlCs1M4mJlRl0LyRn_a-8Svo1QQwKnoDwhGb1KCUxVIYNqH53oxQQafa8BEV9EveYR_zMaf0DrSo-EFSEvNomWTgbL8PK/s1600/Valley+of+Fire+%252833%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZplyjXZyglnNQvFaqv1yosztVmqjZ7fIlwFCrErkqHLXoLEeTlCs1M4mJlRl0LyRn_a-8Svo1QQwKnoDwhGb1KCUxVIYNqH53oxQQafa8BEV9EveYR_zMaf0DrSo-EFSEvNomWTgbL8PK/s320/Valley+of+Fire+%252833%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Valley of Fire State Park</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then our lodging. My grandfather very generously gave us a week from his timeshare and we stayed at the </span><a href="http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/nevada/hilton-grand-vacations-on-the-boulevard-LASVSGV/index.html" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Hilton Grand Vacations on the Boulevard</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. We got a 1-bedroom condo and it was a perfect home-away-from-home! We loved having a full kitchen to make meals easier, healthier, and cheaper. It also had a washer/dryer so we didn't have to bring a week's worth of clothes. (This was a lifesaver since our hiking boots + running shoes + dress shoes took up half of our suitcases!) The hotel featured an amazing pool and fitness center, both of which we took advantage of. Finally, the location was ideal as it was at the far north end of the strip so while we could walk to the strip (assuming it wasn't hot), we never had any noise issues.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We loved having the living room to stretch out and read in the afternoon heat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view of the mountains!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountains + Stratosphere</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We really enjoyed our accommodations and it very much contributed to our relaxation on this trip!</span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-77640107763396898222016-06-06T13:24:00.001-05:002016-06-06T13:24:15.324-05:00Well that went by fast<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And just like that it is summer. Well at least it is my summer 'break,' even if the season hasn't caught up yet. As you could probably infer from my lack of posts, this spring semester flew by in the blink of an eye. It was pretty different from the fall semester as I was teaching graduate-level classes (one online, one that met once/week) but I was able to get several articles published or put under review so I consider that a success!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what are my plans for the summer? Well I'm definitely not off by any means. I'm teaching a 5-week online course that will end in mid-July and I am also participating in a 7-week online program on course design. I also have several research projects to work on, so I don't think I will be bored! On the personal front, we have several exciting things coming up, namely adopting our first dog (hopefully on Saturday!) and hosting Matt's family for the fourth of July. I will be sure to have more details on both of those, but I am definitely looking forward to both of these events.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I do have some other posts coming up for you this week as we just got back from celebrating our 5 year anniversary in Las Vegas! We had an absolutely amazing time and were surprised at how many different activities we could do in the city that is known primarily for gambling. Here is a preview:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don't worry, I will have posts coming up this week that go into our adventures and in the meantime I hope you have a great Monday!</span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-85320809811395426452016-04-11T06:00:00.000-05:002016-04-11T06:00:02.811-05:00A New Hobby<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Inspired by some of our vacations to the Smoky Mountains, Matt and I decided to start hiking more. After buying some hiking shoes and a small hiking backpack, we hit up our first trail at the <a href="http://www.fwnaturecenter.org/" target="_blank">Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge</a> over Easter weekend. It was a great place to start hiking as they had several well-marked trails. They have bison and prairie dogs on property, but we only saw the bison. They had a cool nature center, too, where we were able to see other fun native creatures such as an alligator snapping turtle (dude, their tongues are crazy, look below). We were too distracted to take any pictures but we had a great time. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6KTvZ8pk6Y" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We were free this past Saturday and the weather was looking good for the morning, so we decided to try a new park, the <a href="http://fwmba.org/sansom-park/" target="_blank">Marion Sansom Park</a>, also in Fort Worth. It was actually created for mountain biking, but hikers are allowed on it. While the trails were not as clearly marked (we kind of made our own trek by following a variety of different trails), it was certainly more strenuous! I could see how mountain bikers would love it- constant hills, fun turns, and a good variety of different landscapes. I personally was very happy to be using my own two feet as opposed to biking it because you could pick up a lot of speed on some of those steeper hills! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfjoAIOnok2ug1QP8DEgfw9U713WDPJyMUeAbG1He5G0TkyAilkbOsgKjiaDGu98-5PReH-At-Jhv6FUF3EJeVh6j_2qwprLCk43zDHMeQdBv_hVd0hS_hsqVLVQxQVj-voBlcRjWsLLo/s1600/2016-04-09+09.28.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfjoAIOnok2ug1QP8DEgfw9U713WDPJyMUeAbG1He5G0TkyAilkbOsgKjiaDGu98-5PReH-At-Jhv6FUF3EJeVh6j_2qwprLCk43zDHMeQdBv_hVd0hS_hsqVLVQxQVj-voBlcRjWsLLo/s320/2016-04-09+09.28.07.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The park is literally across the lake from NAS Fort Worth. <br />Matt enjoyed that aspect immensely.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEias3rqRsoujDNdCZ_xBtvbK0h4GIUyErh41VI58cBuO6TptNe4vWe3HM_Q_bsJ7Y3-tbAJ4qRciSduW1FfxL4Sq35ixYnmw04haPfLPYMCfGJDpSjQphYWsQioBsT9u3bFYYff-sbdSlg1/s1600/2016-04-09+09.32.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEias3rqRsoujDNdCZ_xBtvbK0h4GIUyErh41VI58cBuO6TptNe4vWe3HM_Q_bsJ7Y3-tbAJ4qRciSduW1FfxL4Sq35ixYnmw04haPfLPYMCfGJDpSjQphYWsQioBsT9u3bFYYff-sbdSlg1/s320/2016-04-09+09.32.11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can get a sense of the different elevations, too.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpJ0F2FdvFlVXUvNGVgg4SR3BtiTx44dsNeS1VowZ5a0hgpKqi7EkueUzYhUJPZGNiPvXas9uqqsTeZuTXNURwQYIQv1kHviIMdKZQUj301quLAuVW67qlvr4ZCvdOnRG-YzRwysNKzlX/s1600/2016-04-09+09.32.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpJ0F2FdvFlVXUvNGVgg4SR3BtiTx44dsNeS1VowZ5a0hgpKqi7EkueUzYhUJPZGNiPvXas9uqqsTeZuTXNURwQYIQv1kHviIMdKZQUj301quLAuVW67qlvr4ZCvdOnRG-YzRwysNKzlX/s320/2016-04-09+09.32.29.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielyIXWZ903aDxgZ3dRh5kMYK_y76JUlRnr1lw_TVGFo7oTfz_i6qnxV9p0DuYnhO4g-CGX6dQzqxv4_vKgwF_N-lW1FiFXOFX_HAYR3Eg-9nVguxxZrGuX0_BXEmkwwL8yxVZlgE936Aj/s1600/2016-04-09+10.04.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielyIXWZ903aDxgZ3dRh5kMYK_y76JUlRnr1lw_TVGFo7oTfz_i6qnxV9p0DuYnhO4g-CGX6dQzqxv4_vKgwF_N-lW1FiFXOFX_HAYR3Eg-9nVguxxZrGuX0_BXEmkwwL8yxVZlgE936Aj/s320/2016-04-09+10.04.18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We hiked for a few hours at this park before calling it quits for lunch. Our legs were definitely feeling the hills so we went home and crashed for a few hours. But we had a great time and it was so cool to feel like you're in the middle of this forest when you're really just a few minutes outside of downtown Fort Worth. I highly recommend it and we look forward to going back!</span></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-13065527394810863222016-03-17T07:10:00.000-05:002016-03-17T07:10:12.618-05:00Other life updates<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Given that besides from my post on Monday I hadn't posted since February 1, I figured it was time for a miscellaneous catch-up post. So here, in no particular order, is a list of recent goings-on in our/my life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I love hosting people at our house. We have now had the chance to host both family and friends at our home for dinner parties and I love that. It is great to use our house for that purpose and it also gives me a good excuse to try new recipes. This past Sunday we hosted our church's small group for dinner and we cooked jambalaya, apple crisp, and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Yeah, we eat well (don't worry, there was also salad. And french bread. Nothing like a well-rounded meal!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can't wait to get a dog! We installed a new back door on our house that has a doggy door in it, so now all we're waiting on is time. We were going to adopt a dog this week, but since we are hosting large groups of people this month, we didn't want to cause any possible issues if the dog reacts negatively. So we're waiting until we get back from our anniversary trip at the beginning of June. Just 3 more months!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I love my job. It is exhausting and challenging and several days I don't know if I'm doing what I'm supposed to (autonomy is a tricky thing) but I am happy. I have a lot of fun teaching my grad-level stats class. We all make silly math errors- nothing like teaching by example- and they help answer one another's questions. It is awesome to have a more interactive class than some of the ones I have taught previously.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I finally have stuff on my walls in my office. I would show you but I don't have any pictures of it AND I'm not going to the office until next week. But if you remind me I'll share it then!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGI0F1NqIWTPAmiBHim3xxVez2sN7uBD1l9rFl2mzeG0lvx6VCRPajrpUmQiecIqKm8O3zgnMktE1jXbVvekUUpqYHNw5Sn2euN8Sc4AluCTkuQPITLLBSDAhId9TeKOoyNXMD4jdG6yVD/s1600/2016-02-20+19.28.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGI0F1NqIWTPAmiBHim3xxVez2sN7uBD1l9rFl2mzeG0lvx6VCRPajrpUmQiecIqKm8O3zgnMktE1jXbVvekUUpqYHNw5Sn2euN8Sc4AluCTkuQPITLLBSDAhId9TeKOoyNXMD4jdG6yVD/s320/2016-02-20+19.28.29.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because all posts need a picture of some form. This is <br />
from a wedding we went to last month. We clean up well :)</td></tr>
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</span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-34528722099518173132016-03-14T08:28:00.000-05:002016-03-14T08:28:20.130-05:00Things Grad School Doesn't Teach You<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hello out there! Welcome back to this blog of mine. I apologize for the lack of updates, but it has been a pretty busy semester. It is finally spring break though so since I don't have to commute to campus, I can spend some of that time writing to you :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This past week my department hosted a group of students from a university located in England. We are in the process of establishing a partnership with them and one component is having students visit each other's campuses. I was put in charge of planning their week here, so along with a couple of my colleagues we put together a range of events for them. During their visit, I played both hostess and facilitator. It was definitely exhausting but I learned a lot. I figured I would share some of those lessons with you that grad school didn't prepare me for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How to drive a 12 passenger van. Yeah, that was fun. Especially in the rain. On a highway filled with construction. And students with awesome accents asking you to turn on the radio and if people really own cows to mow their grass (yes, that really happened).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Herding cats (uh, I mean students) and making everyone happy. Nobody is going to be happy all the time and unfortunately some students wanted to protest doing certain activities. Thankfully that's what their faculty sponsors are for.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Managing disappointment when things get rained out. It rained most of last week up here in north Texas so that prevented us from doing a lot of activities like SWAT demos. The students were pretty bummed about that but there wasn't much we could do.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Instructing students how to eat fajitas. Welcome to Texas, y'all!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Instructing students that pico de gallo is not salad. Let's just say their tacos weren't so tasty.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shooting an AR-15 with a local sheriff's department. I hadn't shot in a few years so I was a pretty rusty. But it was awesome and a great way to end the week!</span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLKaBAndnbPK6syuwTjax5Qc0polI025JjqzcbbRe8RHfkjfHt1xwJlnFIIyRMLmEy6WrH5nxd00JrJE8bv1XJNKCx3X_o5To4mEaWBPw8STPB_QxSEODQB5Bj5Gms2HKhzxJkL8RA-1f/s1600/DSC_0348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLKaBAndnbPK6syuwTjax5Qc0polI025JjqzcbbRe8RHfkjfHt1xwJlnFIIyRMLmEy6WrH5nxd00JrJE8bv1XJNKCx3X_o5To4mEaWBPw8STPB_QxSEODQB5Bj5Gms2HKhzxJkL8RA-1f/s320/DSC_0348.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh yes, nothing like shooting a rifle while wearing a dress :)</span></td></tr>
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Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-73128249392044043142016-02-01T06:00:00.000-06:002016-02-01T06:00:19.244-06:00New Things<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Wow. Though it is now February, January has been a month of new things! A new semester at work started, bringing with it new students and new challenges. I'm teaching 1 in-person graduate class and 1 online graduate class. I definitely miss teaching undergraduates, but I already know all the students' names in my in-person class so that's awesome. Teaching online is a new experience for me and I miss having the in-person connection with the students. The jury is still out on how it will go, but I will be grading their first assignment today so we'll see how they do!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our new living room furniture was delivered this past week. It came a few weeks earlier than we expected, but we don't mind. I just love it and I think it fits the space so well! The colors are great, too, and it will be the perfect nap couch, I can tell :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJu_0Uyh3ZjqooBc76Sw36vXIWSEGfnNPriFyZn9PnWlPb9PoH-t1JOkiw8JXIh3E-u5KhgSv7C7N3N8wEh_PjaU3yWFCCUC-KjX0VvqzsY_DEanhJOzlXLeNMCU-B4Ty7C2GWvOBRjxW/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJu_0Uyh3ZjqooBc76Sw36vXIWSEGfnNPriFyZn9PnWlPb9PoH-t1JOkiw8JXIh3E-u5KhgSv7C7N3N8wEh_PjaU3yWFCCUC-KjX0VvqzsY_DEanhJOzlXLeNMCU-B4Ty7C2GWvOBRjxW/s320/021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Perhaps most importantly, I am an aunt (again)! My sister-in-law had her first baby this past Thursday morning and I couldn't be happier. Bethany is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to meet her soon. (Sorry, not comfortable sharing pictures of a baby online until I have the parents' permission)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hope you had a great weekend! </span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-15246702673860483462016-01-12T12:21:00.003-06:002016-01-12T12:21:28.277-06:00Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let's not focus on the almost 2 months that I didn't blog and just focus on me being back now, k? :) It has clearly been a little bit busy around here, with the holidays and everything, but life is getting back in order now and it feels good to get back to the normal routine. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWFFm-ZGNsnKBBQOzriiBBwYgD6R8cfDgEbnxAEyEli3zrMUS5cDZ_mweFhagEia-Vlajn9Iu6f2bhaPMYEZOcMzPiw1kzsAWoSkAvvOGS2I0qhw833zvjLxQofTKmMRYNUZKCdfKG2Fh/s1600/2015-12-01+20.16.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWFFm-ZGNsnKBBQOzriiBBwYgD6R8cfDgEbnxAEyEli3zrMUS5cDZ_mweFhagEia-Vlajn9Iu6f2bhaPMYEZOcMzPiw1kzsAWoSkAvvOGS2I0qhw833zvjLxQofTKmMRYNUZKCdfKG2Fh/s320/2015-12-01+20.16.39.jpg" width="180" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First Christmas at our new house!<br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7oL4lZKDl2xuNyFXzUaIbVd3PtbZhQ0y4Xl0TY30S-WC0ytCuIryUAe-KIAJZUuG_bPOcGY4HDVovXq2C6vnj5YvY-cufgYyi9yBKrUCeRU8WdSShRpC473qadqbShy71vE-By55Dtqq/s1600/2015-12-24+12.49.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7oL4lZKDl2xuNyFXzUaIbVd3PtbZhQ0y4Xl0TY30S-WC0ytCuIryUAe-KIAJZUuG_bPOcGY4HDVovXq2C6vnj5YvY-cufgYyi9yBKrUCeRU8WdSShRpC473qadqbShy71vE-By55Dtqq/s320/2015-12-24+12.49.02.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christmas Eve dinner at my parents'. Note the huge snowman cake (it <br />was almost as delicious as the rib-eye my dad roasted)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCTXudgfzMslHOhnjbI67bbhvPJalQJS9IHl3_d2-IC2ANNy8Mk3RfwjFAFV4gBacUCkmGk2zQ547sC8Gt59aA2erKh2eBKq3syNZmsMDitOx5ebyh5ifpwyNaRS0uMY9gwi365AgBbDC/s1600/2015-12-11+18.39.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCTXudgfzMslHOhnjbI67bbhvPJalQJS9IHl3_d2-IC2ANNy8Mk3RfwjFAFV4gBacUCkmGk2zQ547sC8Gt59aA2erKh2eBKq3syNZmsMDitOx5ebyh5ifpwyNaRS0uMY9gwi365AgBbDC/s320/2015-12-11+18.39.06.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Matt & I got to go to the Gaylord Texan for the huge ice display</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2enNSljV3MNAtxP6BU5tdCB-rnVMfmR-wDRj2e4SAiEchU5EOMJqNacXt9a8DmMO72JijxoZhMdV9gH1wWcPt5sTdxVSGZ_2-zT7KdnKj5fVdrPye5lt-7VXuS_lTc7Qpxwc3tJD2AbzC/s1600/2015-12-11+18.39.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2enNSljV3MNAtxP6BU5tdCB-rnVMfmR-wDRj2e4SAiEchU5EOMJqNacXt9a8DmMO72JijxoZhMdV9gH1wWcPt5sTdxVSGZ_2-zT7KdnKj5fVdrPye5lt-7VXuS_lTc7Qpxwc3tJD2AbzC/s320/2015-12-11+18.39.16.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, it is all made of ice.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpF7bWpVgL5bA1R4dlw7HLqCNRhAXIBfzZS51XNMCWIfzaMokCpwvKA1ziNjFWHRzY_ZaWH9xxyhvvkIfDL3Pvy85c2GkrN5tuhHDcTidI5CUhED8NUDmQJ1yXV6cKVkokz6lixIuYtegs/s1600/2015-12-11+18.42.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpF7bWpVgL5bA1R4dlw7HLqCNRhAXIBfzZS51XNMCWIfzaMokCpwvKA1ziNjFWHRzY_ZaWH9xxyhvvkIfDL3Pvy85c2GkrN5tuhHDcTidI5CUhED8NUDmQJ1yXV6cKVkokz6lixIuYtegs/s320/2015-12-11+18.42.10.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was brave enough to slide down and it was really fun!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had a great Christmas and were happy to spend it with both of our families. It was great to spend good quality time with everyone and good food was enjoyed, like always. After we got back from traveling, we had a week at home before Matt went back to work. We took advantage of that to do some much needed organizing and cleaning. One of the closets upstairs went from being an absolute wreck to being neatly organized and with room to spare. Wish I had pictures of before/after, but I'm just happy that it is so much better now!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJL5GpTbP_ubkUVHtHO4fv_tUSVMFISKvrv0L0y3arBOxuSCL_C8WiciFEAH2gWpF7tI4tU0jOgla5jg7FnQwtQ6SLjrIsMtANe7guIUqo9GZ6NNC2cBcvcCq4ICr9Lsv6GyY-_JxxSYSj/s1600/2015-12-18+11.58.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJL5GpTbP_ubkUVHtHO4fv_tUSVMFISKvrv0L0y3arBOxuSCL_C8WiciFEAH2gWpF7tI4tU0jOgla5jg7FnQwtQ6SLjrIsMtANe7guIUqo9GZ6NNC2cBcvcCq4ICr9Lsv6GyY-_JxxSYSj/s320/2015-12-18+11.58.05.jpg" width="180" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For Matt's birthday, we went to see Star Wars. We loved it!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I survived my first semester as a professor and when all is said and done, I think it went really well. I enjoyed my students (for the most part) and received ratings that I'm happy with. I definitely enjoyed teaching more this semester than I had last spring, and I hope that will continue. I was able to have some really fun and enlightening discussions with my undergraduate students and I know several of them really enjoyed the class. I have some things I want to change the next time I teach these courses, but overall I was happy with how things went. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGws4Yk0snUI1ScNuD1GVvr7ZsB93sogAwj1aNrwDvw5AIHqWklCPUKoPOqP7AnuU2O7RMsXATgR_iNjplHeXddma-DKW_LAFcLLs8Vw9vEBwX5858H2tUwzONPPNyhOiI30O8HRItrf_/s1600/2015-12-31+17.37.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGws4Yk0snUI1ScNuD1GVvr7ZsB93sogAwj1aNrwDvw5AIHqWklCPUKoPOqP7AnuU2O7RMsXATgR_iNjplHeXddma-DKW_LAFcLLs8Vw9vEBwX5858H2tUwzONPPNyhOiI30O8HRItrf_/s320/2015-12-31+17.37.37.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our New Years Eve consisted of homemade white chicken & herb pizza</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChgURyfo5wgKhaHOR3IiWGnWLpDAW2siSTgGi00NPhLn4QPS3FBMVuAASN4Mj5y1jufZX4xLG2WFHFWSzXerrU1W3upUXmOm0FXMw2XxUmbmne_yceGgQkmngpGZBZRe6v85OVB7jO0pZ/s1600/2015-12-31+18.14.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChgURyfo5wgKhaHOR3IiWGnWLpDAW2siSTgGi00NPhLn4QPS3FBMVuAASN4Mj5y1jufZX4xLG2WFHFWSzXerrU1W3upUXmOm0FXMw2XxUmbmne_yceGgQkmngpGZBZRe6v85OVB7jO0pZ/s320/2015-12-31+18.14.39.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And some amazing dessert (store-bought from Kroger's-- SO good!)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This semester will be different as I'm teaching 2 graduate-level courses, 1 online and 1 in-person. I think it will be a good semester and I hope to get to know the graduate students better. Research has been going well and I have been able to get several new projects started. I have been able to work on some really exciting collaborations with different scholars, both at and outside of my university, so I am excited to see where those take me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We have some exciting plans for this semester! My sister-in-law will be having her first baby any day now, so we're looking forward to meeting our new little niece or nephew. We will be adding to our own family and hope to adopt a dog in the next couple of months (no, no human babies anytime soon!). We have several house projects on the horizon as well, so it looks like I will have several things to post about here. I will definitely try to be better about posting on the blog this year, promise!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Random question for you: The first day of class is next week and I will be teaching my graduate-level statistics course on Tuesday. What random question should I ask the students? It can be an ice breaker, a get-to-know-you question, or anything. Looking for ideas :)</span><br />
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-75937516877161100962015-11-23T15:00:00.002-06:002015-11-23T15:00:39.803-06:00Now It's Done!<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And now it really is all done. I rescheduled a meeting I had today because I found out our dining room table and chairs were done and I couldn't wait until after Thanksgiving for them to be delivered. Gotta love having a flexible schedule! They were just delivered a few minutes ago and I had to share these pictures with you.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC47StC0Qsl7yp-9XwcJfoATKVJObSceLv60dUtm7BrGuweuYc16UUQftMJN7hqBD9yD2DURxKbEDkQ26SsvRzuP34hpeo4Uw3-eKXDkm9U1jw7RRX00EeQwb8SCquyZtFQc0-3BKxSZbP/s1600/New+Dining+Room+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC47StC0Qsl7yp-9XwcJfoATKVJObSceLv60dUtm7BrGuweuYc16UUQftMJN7hqBD9yD2DURxKbEDkQ26SsvRzuP34hpeo4Uw3-eKXDkm9U1jw7RRX00EeQwb8SCquyZtFQc0-3BKxSZbP/s320/New+Dining+Room+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sorry the lighting is so hard to get in this room...</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpT3Auk33EChYsjw0c6VBfJsh_nzKVye7JIfDRXLZrray-iglpzCHk2APrT2WZSeYLv2hcLCohNQdBRBunlt5PqzbRmw_Lv73UV8cGMJ0RfOToLR8FD_nxI5miS-6hy4GEUyVJGJ_IxFi/s1600/New+Dining+Room+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpT3Auk33EChYsjw0c6VBfJsh_nzKVye7JIfDRXLZrray-iglpzCHk2APrT2WZSeYLv2hcLCohNQdBRBunlt5PqzbRmw_Lv73UV8cGMJ0RfOToLR8FD_nxI5miS-6hy4GEUyVJGJ_IxFi/s320/New+Dining+Room+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7B04JtrTUkUnWb82RjHUcU-Nqcq3H9_cRaz0tXy-sSVdb99Hk8TPEFJG69Sj_4bo0T6wNh9nzPB53EwOPu5ZmZ9JaPHDeX8ZkYAPmZZWYTaKsYDmX5uuX9H519OcjO8M7jLS1ewRKLW7/s1600/New+Dining+Room+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7B04JtrTUkUnWb82RjHUcU-Nqcq3H9_cRaz0tXy-sSVdb99Hk8TPEFJG69Sj_4bo0T6wNh9nzPB53EwOPu5ZmZ9JaPHDeX8ZkYAPmZZWYTaKsYDmX5uuX9H519OcjO8M7jLS1ewRKLW7/s320/New+Dining+Room+%25286%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kUwa0wGuQffpFJ_4VvSBQxWjvHPqjnlu6Qa2zZp5wNpa5uDSONyi1gAzHq5x5CF10JGmF8hCB_msPyTM3CvEzHkdjCiHFa9zkZ5WTDnTlvJeCuUh0yxZYTfgtG-9nBxhPL0thPtHT3AY/s1600/New+Dining+Room+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kUwa0wGuQffpFJ_4VvSBQxWjvHPqjnlu6Qa2zZp5wNpa5uDSONyi1gAzHq5x5CF10JGmF8hCB_msPyTM3CvEzHkdjCiHFa9zkZ5WTDnTlvJeCuUh0yxZYTfgtG-9nBxhPL0thPtHT3AY/s320/New+Dining+Room+%25287%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hope you love it as much as I do!</span></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-86592200620114508072015-11-22T08:05:00.002-06:002015-11-22T08:05:53.657-06:00It's (Almost) Done!!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All of the house renovations are done and they look great! It had been 2 months since the original incident and it was certainly the process. We learned a lot about flooring, water leaks, and all sorts of other house things. There were certainly moments of stress and frustration, but it was worth it.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-853zUzmM8EYgkxK4HZ7_JKb31cEepHtbeFj5a4BIK7VGnlkKICOGDcnJsu_HOA8cM8egLyjHOQTOUWletNmoWds0ZHq5xTqSnC64x1xqvv4Mobz-aF_tJq9eqFkJWU5M_4mJKs-eZnt/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-853zUzmM8EYgkxK4HZ7_JKb31cEepHtbeFj5a4BIK7VGnlkKICOGDcnJsu_HOA8cM8egLyjHOQTOUWletNmoWds0ZHq5xTqSnC64x1xqvv4Mobz-aF_tJq9eqFkJWU5M_4mJKs-eZnt/s320/001.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The entryway, love the floors!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LNvHnQxo1msl_NaApvW-aSGb0WrqK4NzFzBIwlf7pCk5GhlTazOXifrudbtluWV23QhM_WzRFZCzilE5gKUw7KBaAIqd3j5PkrXBZYnXJIq0ppCEoDu_BNjFMIzuApPpDmiXwW3rT6a_/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LNvHnQxo1msl_NaApvW-aSGb0WrqK4NzFzBIwlf7pCk5GhlTazOXifrudbtluWV23QhM_WzRFZCzilE5gKUw7KBaAIqd3j5PkrXBZYnXJIq0ppCEoDu_BNjFMIzuApPpDmiXwW3rT6a_/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We ended up getting a new light for the entryway since the electrician was <br />coming anyway. Love it so much more than the old one!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVJSlS4fIf8oHF8ja95Mtlu2hLZK8nDsWyiULMg62Op-r3qJyFO0wJD566o9SSKI-bRdS9v4XJS53wy4yKVNL-8bEZyBPDREIZzOUvne2IbpGcUZd0Ujcjh-b_csiVH766xyxt_vz3yAE/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVJSlS4fIf8oHF8ja95Mtlu2hLZK8nDsWyiULMg62Op-r3qJyFO0wJD566o9SSKI-bRdS9v4XJS53wy4yKVNL-8bEZyBPDREIZzOUvne2IbpGcUZd0Ujcjh-b_csiVH766xyxt_vz3yAE/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New dining room and light! And no hole in ceiling!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7U8CAjqX167TYlLv8xwZQeWvKDcqIcLCp9krP5CGECR7jbsThz6vgHoi5g6BUPoyz0QsiXBcPc7J36KEzBXCnrVECC9gYfLAtVr8h1UXA1RK69yvJe7oS2EowzALUpMKu_KtKogMv3Ccl/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7U8CAjqX167TYlLv8xwZQeWvKDcqIcLCp9krP5CGECR7jbsThz6vgHoi5g6BUPoyz0QsiXBcPc7J36KEzBXCnrVECC9gYfLAtVr8h1UXA1RK69yvJe7oS2EowzALUpMKu_KtKogMv3Ccl/s320/008.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From the front door looking in; you can also see the new carpet.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1p2XCZKkJaPfbzMjcEXYE9pXXXkc3C9ol8VeRI_K2kGSK__Wb6wZVy0jr52fua6UAj7Klw3B44hrRwVGF-OjP73HAa1xA4sNt0y_4Kmrhzkg11pNpbwF8sf0xfmUG53LQbnSyTz_XgQ1/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1p2XCZKkJaPfbzMjcEXYE9pXXXkc3C9ol8VeRI_K2kGSK__Wb6wZVy0jr52fua6UAj7Klw3B44hrRwVGF-OjP73HAa1xA4sNt0y_4Kmrhzkg11pNpbwF8sf0xfmUG53LQbnSyTz_XgQ1/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New tile in the bathroom!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQj36cnYwPA5vSTdZD9Ckz9uvqIGLYvKJQU6oEQl5P-yjmQUZ7Thk1TqrHpOblvv4HhVDV9DFS_VPWSQlMZQlLp9PgvUSGYeGAh94CNDtLD0KAZVpsIrST13KzAtLGZrbpSaVjZ28d03E/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQj36cnYwPA5vSTdZD9Ckz9uvqIGLYvKJQU6oEQl5P-yjmQUZ7Thk1TqrHpOblvv4HhVDV9DFS_VPWSQlMZQlLp9PgvUSGYeGAh94CNDtLD0KAZVpsIrST13KzAtLGZrbpSaVjZ28d03E/s320/011.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So there you have it! All that's left is for the dining room furniture to be delivered, and then we will definitely have people over to enjoy it with us. :)</span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-53015219972276458292015-10-30T08:59:00.002-05:002015-10-30T08:59:29.434-05:00House Update<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Wednesday our old hardwood floors were torn out of the entry way and formal dining room. That was quite the dusty process and also led to wasps invading our house. Fortunately we were able to stay at our church small group leaders' home that night! Yesterday they installed the new floors and I think you'll agree it made the whole process worth it!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xARhdzAj-hn2rVEhtz8IPcOxLhIVjZQaTPvWQ8NBeumGkXPSMylOqPP6H1diZKhCgfH7sWDG1P03P5uf8KwJMW_FJ911_cbNSzoKTwJb0KkudAOINIUy9_X8pdnnzIJz8Dyz69tZh9kO/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xARhdzAj-hn2rVEhtz8IPcOxLhIVjZQaTPvWQ8NBeumGkXPSMylOqPP6H1diZKhCgfH7sWDG1P03P5uf8KwJMW_FJ911_cbNSzoKTwJb0KkudAOINIUy9_X8pdnnzIJz8Dyz69tZh9kO/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I promise our furniture is black.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuGFNish9tgwKdPKmaSfXPlclUILM6YFr_Yjdj-sc4tE5VFYdHwzrfyulyKPMQR76QWdCP5mELcwMSXXp-88410fN6yJdiriGJqXUapi55PxR8HDnPDWPmLHZ_uSok5yTsZQcmXAxs7Xw/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuGFNish9tgwKdPKmaSfXPlclUILM6YFr_Yjdj-sc4tE5VFYdHwzrfyulyKPMQR76QWdCP5mELcwMSXXp-88410fN6yJdiriGJqXUapi55PxR8HDnPDWPmLHZ_uSok5yTsZQcmXAxs7Xw/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the original color by the frame</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5YDoZlD6H1L4pkyIEAJCfmtHs4M7Txmx_NzD6sww42iyk3OGrXY3lbyXnXMBddu3VCFXv3UvZKTjM3c7wA0TN5s2i3EFh1oSNq0mqCGSwzSHTDoWx6pSDSS95OBlX3DTDi2l8BXnkP-X/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5YDoZlD6H1L4pkyIEAJCfmtHs4M7Txmx_NzD6sww42iyk3OGrXY3lbyXnXMBddu3VCFXv3UvZKTjM3c7wA0TN5s2i3EFh1oSNq0mqCGSwzSHTDoWx6pSDSS95OBlX3DTDi2l8BXnkP-X/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture honestly reminds me of the <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tower_of_Terror_lobby_and_desk.jpg" target="_blank">lobby </a>at the Tower of Terror</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QA4h-lJYquErqWTiE-J04qFxV26YvKWzbnpHBNQu1aS0Nhj1QFk7vFXk14WiQ3QkQLeWfBKEvImF-maglVzaUD7MzFEsG2p8L4Ko_LPAj1km0uUItrPqij6FJi_T-kNf7plHpzLVh_ic/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QA4h-lJYquErqWTiE-J04qFxV26YvKWzbnpHBNQu1aS0Nhj1QFk7vFXk14WiQ3QkQLeWfBKEvImF-maglVzaUD7MzFEsG2p8L4Ko_LPAj1km0uUItrPqij6FJi_T-kNf7plHpzLVh_ic/s320/007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is all over the kitchen tile and mats, so I could <br />
only imagine our living room carpet is equally dirty.<br />
Fortunately our contractor is getting us someone to clean the house :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzIUr-lAiUBhm3FeOYFWb8IikAL9bnY1jTMQ0z5O_1C9bHfsDyxWKDmn2fIveJPcw5bG-1DTVi7WllpTK0fB5mK-PeM6Ek6aEmiWuXNUPNiR34CY_iS639PDrbvTOuAjxAVyuShNBvwBXG/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzIUr-lAiUBhm3FeOYFWb8IikAL9bnY1jTMQ0z5O_1C9bHfsDyxWKDmn2fIveJPcw5bG-1DTVi7WllpTK0fB5mK-PeM6Ek6aEmiWuXNUPNiR34CY_iS639PDrbvTOuAjxAVyuShNBvwBXG/s320/008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the grand reveal-- our new floors!!! See the old ones <a href="http://txaggie2011.blogspot.com/search/label/House" target="_blank">here</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjbTbpsQU6bdKLi5kTZcedslzxYEGnhNt1aWYNHX9wqsIlkqbunCQdf17GOL7VhQUc8rnmosaZrW8ZykaPawKxNT4IsYyLFUz4LWFSIKi4S7auya4BHv9_m-EoHMr198OWRmA5CwycDy7/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjbTbpsQU6bdKLi5kTZcedslzxYEGnhNt1aWYNHX9wqsIlkqbunCQdf17GOL7VhQUc8rnmosaZrW8ZykaPawKxNT4IsYyLFUz4LWFSIKi4S7auya4BHv9_m-EoHMr198OWRmA5CwycDy7/s320/009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aren't they pretty?? It's hard to tell with these pictures, but <br />
they have are hand scraped so they have some of the real wood look.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SJwemp_sg94Vu4PwTcEJZLvuBSt1lRfDnB83SNrCr81Kra-9xbPXat1MmyQdON7BdckurioqO98cbcwNJkJWJattYCqZWjWxGaBnfWGGlcm04ddlZ_5cKMSP4LgZv6QgjFQfGZqnfMbb/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SJwemp_sg94Vu4PwTcEJZLvuBSt1lRfDnB83SNrCr81Kra-9xbPXat1MmyQdON7BdckurioqO98cbcwNJkJWJattYCqZWjWxGaBnfWGGlcm04ddlZ_5cKMSP4LgZv6QgjFQfGZqnfMbb/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9Tuypm6tbTJ47d390VPdYj0t9BT9f_jiFSsmVZzJdHt1wRWXqlO8o2F6IYxoPGGLUbizqnws8-F4ASxsOcAo7f0ED5jFh4rZBWNOPGI69KqvhRqv25xMNUa9xd-7gVUuPvhg1GngvCHc/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9Tuypm6tbTJ47d390VPdYj0t9BT9f_jiFSsmVZzJdHt1wRWXqlO8o2F6IYxoPGGLUbizqnws8-F4ASxsOcAo7f0ED5jFh4rZBWNOPGI69KqvhRqv25xMNUa9xd-7gVUuPvhg1GngvCHc/s320/011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we got home last night after dinner and saw them for the first time, I knew it was all worth it. Yes, there is still tons of work to be done and we don't want to use our living room or kitchen, at least something is done and it is gorgeous!</span></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-90452830611353528052015-10-27T06:00:00.000-05:002015-10-27T06:00:07.159-05:00Oktoberfest in New Orleans<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because clearly New Orleans is known for its German food. Well, at least it should be. This past weekend, Matt and I took a whirlwind trip down to NOLA to visit my family. And I mean whirlwind-- drove down Friday, hung out Saturday, and drove home Sunday. Both travel days were in the rain for 75% of the drive, but it was well worth it. We had a great time on Saturday as you'll be able to see-- enjoyed a lot of great food (that I strangely didn't take pictures of, sorry) and had a great visit with my aunt, uncle, and grandfather. Next time we'll definitely stay a little longer, though! :)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-k17Zl3UvrTyBkgxc_dCMBhPs655DgMDdJbmwSC3IO3XiISgWnHaUQLohhpaerV-wOaI_U_rntMow-gUpWVwR8HOxJ91159p8pX0tjwYqkw0dNiKEzQ-lgpdtldWv1c0OrGwgIgqZZyyQ/s1600/2015-10-24+10.24.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-k17Zl3UvrTyBkgxc_dCMBhPs655DgMDdJbmwSC3IO3XiISgWnHaUQLohhpaerV-wOaI_U_rntMow-gUpWVwR8HOxJ91159p8pX0tjwYqkw0dNiKEzQ-lgpdtldWv1c0OrGwgIgqZZyyQ/s320/2015-10-24+10.24.52.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We spent Saturday morning touring the French Quarter</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwpiLAP0OkTSzpra7Gg-L0tINjaAfJ9HlVDF0SEpo4NmGZyweHBsPyHsoTLHSY55gJ20rA1jQ5bpq8LmAm1jb7_M88z8rBfDhBgD4_P1LGgdXzlu0ccMiN9jwSkUnTmanKRKeNxpBhlxZ/s1600/2015-10-24+10.52.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwpiLAP0OkTSzpra7Gg-L0tINjaAfJ9HlVDF0SEpo4NmGZyweHBsPyHsoTLHSY55gJ20rA1jQ5bpq8LmAm1jb7_M88z8rBfDhBgD4_P1LGgdXzlu0ccMiN9jwSkUnTmanKRKeNxpBhlxZ/s320/2015-10-24+10.52.43.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And discovering cute alleyways</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCORpfg7yxf31mOx6zI87cfWjudRZU5GUDtNtp0G597_zjko-7ZeMcK-LGHDAd4VBlDIG-enHcYDbZOWbm2ij9OC2GO1_rC9kWvkqkfPWDsXFyaiwWabO7MTgI8IQ7A7_VroTnWTkRQR3/s1600/2015-10-24+11.47.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCORpfg7yxf31mOx6zI87cfWjudRZU5GUDtNtp0G597_zjko-7ZeMcK-LGHDAd4VBlDIG-enHcYDbZOWbm2ij9OC2GO1_rC9kWvkqkfPWDsXFyaiwWabO7MTgI8IQ7A7_VroTnWTkRQR3/s320/2015-10-24+11.47.27.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And watching street performers outside of Brennan's. They tried <br />to get Matt to dance, but he refused. After seeing what he <br />would have done though, I must say that was the right call.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7ukl3DXGEJzEw3kURM74bii4wsS1gBQgC659TJ7GmOa5jQ6RrUQCXU91uxaE_WkkpkRgacY9ITujmGaMycKxlXG0mYBhZflKBXdM1k97uFhcBvfF5nRdAz9UukPRkehOU7BKwrKrgZ-m/s1600/2015-10-24+16.28.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7ukl3DXGEJzEw3kURM74bii4wsS1gBQgC659TJ7GmOa5jQ6RrUQCXU91uxaE_WkkpkRgacY9ITujmGaMycKxlXG0mYBhZflKBXdM1k97uFhcBvfF5nRdAz9UukPRkehOU7BKwrKrgZ-m/s320/2015-10-24+16.28.56.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And now Oktoberfest, where they had wiener dog races! Sounds strange, but is really fun!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51WrM7KoxFp4jaTQMs2EbVvHrCR0Z3pm6Z-_VwNuiF0BX4KYHhK812XN0b2PZ81eGg3JJbSCqwYyaL2_r5HgOPJ4vNwftsIT_xkimidiZaXEonOAHWGr03nvflydVD_lu-DLdOWAth-Sl/s1600/2015-10-24+16.49.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51WrM7KoxFp4jaTQMs2EbVvHrCR0Z3pm6Z-_VwNuiF0BX4KYHhK812XN0b2PZ81eGg3JJbSCqwYyaL2_r5HgOPJ4vNwftsIT_xkimidiZaXEonOAHWGr03nvflydVD_lu-DLdOWAth-Sl/s320/2015-10-24+16.49.59.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They had several heats we got to watch, some more comical than others</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmk6CU8G1jXoUSHfoCuG8e9EYZcIW-xWquWns_gXqlRbaa9RLzPb8S6v9sXcMu7CabP_2J6mTIkoGSkoqQkHCcb4yRjqRfM4khYJcj2KmMI_onFgh3_ZAnuIwL-NXze5nkCblZ5vNowjED/s1600/2015-10-24+16.50.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmk6CU8G1jXoUSHfoCuG8e9EYZcIW-xWquWns_gXqlRbaa9RLzPb8S6v9sXcMu7CabP_2J6mTIkoGSkoqQkHCcb4yRjqRfM4khYJcj2KmMI_onFgh3_ZAnuIwL-NXze5nkCblZ5vNowjED/s320/2015-10-24+16.50.00.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The one on the far left was Layla. Her fans (yes, <br />she had groupies) had t-shirts that said "Lightning <br />Layla." She ended up winning the competition!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXGwhAV_KGXKij0W__b_KPqIKcg5Ll-_m0eQEyhaLnWOmMTvHKI87KtAaGdLFvvseyhbcO5o-f18CGHmyGp5qP6jQ4Cilzcn8XI-dri9CJ_mDfNDw6xtgiOhFgkd4BV_L8G8o0S1vuybJ/s1600/2015-10-24+19.43.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXGwhAV_KGXKij0W__b_KPqIKcg5Ll-_m0eQEyhaLnWOmMTvHKI87KtAaGdLFvvseyhbcO5o-f18CGHmyGp5qP6jQ4Cilzcn8XI-dri9CJ_mDfNDw6xtgiOhFgkd4BV_L8G8o0S1vuybJ/s320/2015-10-24+19.43.40.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course they had to have the 'Hold the Beer Stein' competition. I have <br />no idea how much it weighed but it was quite impressive to watch them go!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCcVASt9RUZPiVgIbe2xx09bA9jPY-h4XlCzW8lZU9kTH7BcCEJlRR1BrERkBw3eGSnsVSqAC1smt1NlrZ4FBpnKxSB1q2T0BTwmqqDJdSQ-1OVvsZbr7QOlZH11vY-oL1Vfu7JFsXaLM/s1600/2015-10-24+19.54.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCcVASt9RUZPiVgIbe2xx09bA9jPY-h4XlCzW8lZU9kTH7BcCEJlRR1BrERkBw3eGSnsVSqAC1smt1NlrZ4FBpnKxSB1q2T0BTwmqqDJdSQ-1OVvsZbr7QOlZH11vY-oL1Vfu7JFsXaLM/s320/2015-10-24+19.54.53.jpg" width="180" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Matt turned into Mad King Ludwig</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSh0zm6LGJ-dCVIe2tIh6jYdVU6xBC4Sm7N88b31eDOh4J8S9UENDEeIjj5WtNw-7LJ5kSU7tKU9TIlLlvdWvkgjHne2-wG6j-XuDkGwAveYFwQD07_UzUpWhul-aVB9MS9wNjFcXEHQw/s1600/263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSh0zm6LGJ-dCVIe2tIh6jYdVU6xBC4Sm7N88b31eDOh4J8S9UENDEeIjj5WtNw-7LJ5kSU7tKU9TIlLlvdWvkgjHne2-wG6j-XuDkGwAveYFwQD07_UzUpWhul-aVB9MS9wNjFcXEHQw/s320/263.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's the same castle by the way-- Schloss Hohenschwangau; <br />picture courtesy of my trip to Germany in 2010. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg89h80-0HtdnvsJ5Qnf_mRyIFvX0jEijT7usRYKkl7PH3w5xo04kXB-CtdnLPm3g_Zq3bLiXzkdy9mot1TVq0nbi7OBIbJ-87q9rALuBroaz7yWhGF6AaLmxHzVSa6ikqrgTNO7MV4Vd8C/s1600/2015-10-24+19.55.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg89h80-0HtdnvsJ5Qnf_mRyIFvX0jEijT7usRYKkl7PH3w5xo04kXB-CtdnLPm3g_Zq3bLiXzkdy9mot1TVq0nbi7OBIbJ-87q9rALuBroaz7yWhGF6AaLmxHzVSa6ikqrgTNO7MV4Vd8C/s320/2015-10-24+19.55.42.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And our amazing host for the weekend, my aunt Paula, rocking the dirndl!</span></td></tr>
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Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-66085735552918851892015-09-24T06:00:00.000-05:002015-09-24T06:00:06.887-05:00Impressions Thus Far<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today marks 1 month since classes have started, but it feels like it has been so much longer. So much has happened within the past month, but I can honestly say I really enjoy my job. On one hand it is very similar to what I've been doing (particularly last spring), but on the other hand it feels very different and new. I am independent in many ways now, but also have new responsibilities. I will say though, having my own office is pretty amazing! Since academia is broken down into 3 domains, that's how I'm going to discuss it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Teaching</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was the area I was most unsure about. I had only taught one class before this, so I still felt (and feel) like I'm going into things blindly. I can give a lecture, that's fine. I'm lucky enough to be teaching classes that I actually care about, so I think the students can tell I'm passionate about it. It makes it a lot easier to discuss things when you're nervous when you know it well! So far the students have been great and have participated a lot through in-class discussions. Yes, there are some that sleep or otherwise look utterly bored, but I try not to focus on them too much. There are several other students who do look engaged and ask great questions. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So being in the classroom itself hasn't been too bad. Dealing with other issues that do pertain to students can get tricky. The amount of discretion we as professors are given is immense, so I've faced hard decisions over whether to let certain students make up assignments or exams based on different reasons/excuses. One of my mentors at my prior university advised me to do what other students would think is fair (even if I think that is too lax), so that's what I've been trying to base my decisions on. I guess time will tell how that goes!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Research</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is one area that didn't really change much. I did research in grad school and I'm continuing several of those projects now. I just submitted several articles to be considered for publication, so keep your fingers crossed they get favorable reviews! The one thing that has changed has been being able to put "Assistant Professor" as my job title, as opposed to PhD student. That still makes me smile :) I have also gotten the chance to collaborate with others in other departments at my university, so that is a great opportunity!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Service</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a very new area for me. Sure, I served as an officer in my discipline's graduate student association, but as a professor you're expected to serve on various committees at the departmental, college, and university level. Fortunately my department protects me my first year from most assignments, though I have gotten the opportunity to serve on a few things. They haven't been too much work, but have been interesting and have introduced me to several new people at the university.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So overall I am happy with my position. Sure, there are aspects I don't like (having to tell a student they failed an exam is really not fun) and some decisions have woken me up in the middle of the night, but I'm figuring it out as I go. Our lifestyle has certainly changed as I am not able to work from home as much as I used to, but we're adjusting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, that's the update on my life, work-wise. And look-- 2 posts in September!! Hooray!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*Note, I am keeping some points vague. I realize I have no control over who reads this blog so I have to protect others as well as myself.</span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-14467564428981068392015-09-14T06:00:00.000-05:002015-09-14T06:00:00.985-05:00I Love Home Ownership <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or not. I'll let you be the judge. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So a few nights ago we wake up at 1:30 AM to what sounded like a heavy rainstorm, except the noise was coming from <i>inside</i> our house. Obviously not good. Come to find out the water supply line for one of the toilet upstairs broke, spraying a large amount of water everywhere. There was enough water to start leaking into the formal dining room below. And by leaking, I mean streaming. Out of the AC filter. And the ceiling. Yeah, it was fun. Matt quickly turned off the water and we were able to get a water restoration crew out to clean up the mess. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs62ZTQxCqfpNOEsIXh1pCBFeJv-EQ190Klvbhz7KiFQKHKDGy7weGy_gX9LAXeUxtHP9ZEu4ufUnLcgmbxWnq6sqPTMn2IUappu7WS0jfMRKR7x8S2ZS9nNMURjHAfMxlGipfu_8w6boQ/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs62ZTQxCqfpNOEsIXh1pCBFeJv-EQ190Klvbhz7KiFQKHKDGy7weGy_gX9LAXeUxtHP9ZEu4ufUnLcgmbxWnq6sqPTMn2IUappu7WS0jfMRKR7x8S2ZS9nNMURjHAfMxlGipfu_8w6boQ/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is after the water has been removed, but before all the fans were put in.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-d-EqXFgLGTsvQksRSff3tsJXAaSmu1sXo7PDc05EbJR1RFI9v7k3buAyXSVE4WatlcWSmKqD6MiqtGPkc4iHjukL572IGX3VqhDA4jJU-gaxj78UBFiaOd5jnEF2KIzENSwOOFWPXutX/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-d-EqXFgLGTsvQksRSff3tsJXAaSmu1sXo7PDc05EbJR1RFI9v7k3buAyXSVE4WatlcWSmKqD6MiqtGPkc4iHjukL572IGX3VqhDA4jJU-gaxj78UBFiaOd5jnEF2KIzENSwOOFWPXutX/s320/007.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The vent where the water was gushing out. If you look <br />closely, you can see some cracks where the water was flowing, too.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsF7IFqPcMJzTnucJSLMBBlyWo_oruXekz4tjSXjv5d7YYl5qkOXiZ0im2aPQQHC11FCGi-OC43jHOsjbB0G4pxdFdiEDpuLy2EgiKvWucvlHNM4KBltq6fWtu2K2dewcCe36Xw7W6ivM/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsF7IFqPcMJzTnucJSLMBBlyWo_oruXekz4tjSXjv5d7YYl5qkOXiZ0im2aPQQHC11FCGi-OC43jHOsjbB0G4pxdFdiEDpuLy2EgiKvWucvlHNM4KBltq6fWtu2K2dewcCe36Xw7W6ivM/s320/017.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The guilty water supply line...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivLFJ6gsGupfnd7CDNb2fmDw9FrSEcYL3T4bfdbNJO4-VHmQeCzzRSDn0IzoDOHine-EluS0Ta8y2N76Txd4XNW6oy5Wv6qnxtdkLhKFKvPyJy7d3gAQF8ahFHQy85fNOaq1M5eZ9pA64/s1600/2015-09-05+09.45.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivLFJ6gsGupfnd7CDNb2fmDw9FrSEcYL3T4bfdbNJO4-VHmQeCzzRSDn0IzoDOHine-EluS0Ta8y2N76Txd4XNW6oy5Wv6qnxtdkLhKFKvPyJy7d3gAQF8ahFHQy85fNOaq1M5eZ9pA64/s320/2015-09-05+09.45.38.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And ALL of the fans and dehumidifier in the dining room.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqHC0kybVSSx93Kr-8nkJoQiRBQEZvmWRAVLzMynQ15hWMBZkJz6lBPnA3A864z_XE6FIzudZRyQBT1UiyI4VAOChygtokOD-fBOuVZwYlnyYZkyce2faFYZbvL_S5lu73urZevZAkeXV/s1600/2015-09-07+11.00.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqHC0kybVSSx93Kr-8nkJoQiRBQEZvmWRAVLzMynQ15hWMBZkJz6lBPnA3A864z_XE6FIzudZRyQBT1UiyI4VAOChygtokOD-fBOuVZwYlnyYZkyce2faFYZbvL_S5lu73urZevZAkeXV/s320/2015-09-07+11.00.52.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Can't forget about the octopus, used to dry inside the wall.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDTxKy0O63eWVqgYbnhRzrps_vPlS47xqwYqhr33XFKKoZ2ORJaz5eMnPmIYJUKIBsTKQVjc1-S9CmGXHmUmRGqB0N8KGgpLv-wFx9qGtqvgbvgVJyEPhTuvjIvS-G0U_lV73BvBOvNXJ/s1600/2015-09-07+11.01.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDTxKy0O63eWVqgYbnhRzrps_vPlS47xqwYqhr33XFKKoZ2ORJaz5eMnPmIYJUKIBsTKQVjc1-S9CmGXHmUmRGqB0N8KGgpLv-wFx9qGtqvgbvgVJyEPhTuvjIvS-G0U_lV73BvBOvNXJ/s320/2015-09-07+11.01.23.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8t6e2Tjqk0L4IfDt4LvXnHtlcECcb1BztegDp7kWXR-cz4Trp1NlE3SfF0ePujQuQUp-G4skf11G0ifP9FatQ3QuhNr6ouMXz_vtViT5-4tzPZmxXkwHSRHau-p3Rg9_ReiI3mbeC2CG/s1600/2015-09-07+11.27.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8t6e2Tjqk0L4IfDt4LvXnHtlcECcb1BztegDp7kWXR-cz4Trp1NlE3SfF0ePujQuQUp-G4skf11G0ifP9FatQ3QuhNr6ouMXz_vtViT5-4tzPZmxXkwHSRHau-p3Rg9_ReiI3mbeC2CG/s320/2015-09-07+11.27.11.jpg" width="180" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Upstairs, taking up the carpet to dry the floors.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had these large fans and dehumidifiers in our house for a little under a week. During this time, we were pretty much confined to living in either the study upstairs or our bedroom because it was quite loud. Seriously, when we cooked in the kitchen we wore earplugs. We moved a card table, chairs, and TV into our bedroom, so that certainly helped, but after 4-5 days, we started to get antsy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fortunately, our insurance agreed to cover all of the repairs, so the deduction we have to pay will go quite far. Along with all the drywall repairs and whatnot, we'll be getting new carpet upstairs and new flooring downstairs. That obviously adds new complexity to our already-busy lives, but it is a good stressor when it is all said and done. We were very fortunate that we were both home when the burst happened (Matt had just gotten home from a business trip the night before) and we caught it fairly quickly. The damage could have been much, much worse so we count ourselves blessed!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I do have to say that while home ownership does have its downsides, we are still glad we bought this house. It's only been 5 months but we've had a lot of fun already and consider it home. </span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-2181467762708129432015-08-24T10:15:00.002-05:002015-08-24T10:15:53.868-05:00Dog Update<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For those that are curious, the dog that was featured in my previous post did make it back to his home!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Saturday afternoon I received a call from the owner's daughter who said a friend saw one of my posts about the dog on Facebook. I had to tell her the sad news that we didn't have the dog anymore; he was with our city's animal control. The animal control's policy is they give a 72 hour window for the owner to claim the dog before they are released for adoption. It was literally just at 72 hours when I got the call, so I was hopeful they would be able to get their Yorkie back. I gave them the case number, and that's the last I heard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday afternoon I texted her and asked if she had gotten him. She had! Yay! I was so happy and the daughter also got the dog chipped for her mom, so we/they won't have to go through this ordeal again. Even though he was with us for a little under 24 hours, we quickly fell for him and we're so happy he is back home where he was clearly loved and well taken care of. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpIl2rtPi0cpe6AJIQJjlLNEOZv2loPVhbNglAo60Ii5-Cj80AP9K0DWMz9ltSBhBwmvFAnOdb4FTV0EmCQq34k6B7qCuP5ff96ywl9fouIgpAhPVKbORy6fQntE8vEVXQc3DfGTgj3zV/s1600/IMG_03531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpIl2rtPi0cpe6AJIQJjlLNEOZv2loPVhbNglAo60Ii5-Cj80AP9K0DWMz9ltSBhBwmvFAnOdb4FTV0EmCQq34k6B7qCuP5ff96ywl9fouIgpAhPVKbORy6fQntE8vEVXQc3DfGTgj3zV/s320/IMG_03531.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I mean, how can you <i>not</i> love that face??</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-2955879585212637512015-08-24T06:00:00.000-05:002015-08-24T06:00:07.593-05:00First Day<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today is the first day of the semester! I went to campus 4 out of the 5 days last week to get into the swing of the drive and working from my office, but classes are starting today. My classes are on Tuesday/Thursday but I'll be going in today for office hours and to get some writing done.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDm7TX5tA5LeuQGte_HbHRo6ccE1jf_0MDh9CC0nSkaLkAOCJ09ShDG49Pcek5ORGoWvI8CWueqzz8ZTeceAoSjLi6Ppe6C2Oqn9F9wAdfT7pXwOT9uxuWgmRnhrBpPURSyNdoqGa4f5E9/s1600/2015-08-14+14.40.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDm7TX5tA5LeuQGte_HbHRo6ccE1jf_0MDh9CC0nSkaLkAOCJ09ShDG49Pcek5ORGoWvI8CWueqzz8ZTeceAoSjLi6Ppe6C2Oqn9F9wAdfT7pXwOT9uxuWgmRnhrBpPURSyNdoqGa4f5E9/s320/2015-08-14+14.40.15.jpg" width="180" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My office! I have some things on some of the <br />bookshelves so it looks a little less depressing :)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I definitely have a lot of thoughts and emotions swirling around right now, so this post may seem rather fragmented. Last week was exhausting; more so than expected. I got home around 6ish or so, and all I would want to do is chill on the couch, eat cereal, and retreat into my introverted self. Not at all normal for me (well, I do love cereal) or Matt, so hopefully my energy level will be able to bounce back faster in the coming weeks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To sum up my emotional state, I would say I'm excited but also nervous. One of my classes is 122 students and the other is capped at 39. That is A LOT of students, and I have a slight fear of public speaking. You would think me teaching last semester would have gotten rid of it but no, still nervous just thinking about it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The one piece of advice I've heard the most has probably been that this is a marathon, not a sprint. I cannot let my perfectionist tendencies come out and expect my classes to be awesome, perfect, engaging, and that all students will love it. That is too high of a bar to set. Instead, the theme for this first year is <i>survival</i>. Seriously. That's what so many of my fellow faculty have told me about this first year. Survive because it will just feel like a blur. Not exactly encouraging, but everyone has also said I can call/email/visit them whenever and they are there for me, so at least I'm not alone. Plus prayer. And Matt. And exercise. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLT8KvE0wgWXhyjE9ZgIIaJ3lsVkpiegt5lcgQOTaRBj5KrlspuZ-yFhAyPQAJfSBZrMe9FLBGwRLS6NTT9Cl3I87nPB2qdDHtOdc0couFeA_FSZDJ5qMAF5LLYqImUSCBmgmZ0S9tc0A/s1600/IMG_20150819_072509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLT8KvE0wgWXhyjE9ZgIIaJ3lsVkpiegt5lcgQOTaRBj5KrlspuZ-yFhAyPQAJfSBZrMe9FLBGwRLS6NTT9Cl3I87nPB2qdDHtOdc0couFeA_FSZDJ5qMAF5LLYqImUSCBmgmZ0S9tc0A/s320/IMG_20150819_072509.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So this guy stayed with us for a little under 24 hours last week. He was lost and we couldn't find his owners (<i>PLEASE MICROCHIP YOUR PET!</i>), so we kept him as long as we could until we had to have the city get him. He was the sweetest thing though so I'm 150% confident he will be adopted quickly.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I feel like my university is offering me so much support and they want me to succeed, I just have to navigate and learn my way around these new responsibilities, utilizing the resources that I can. Learning the balance between teaching preparations and research obligations is certainly challenging and I'm kind of at a loss of how to know when I'm doing it right. Figuring out the social dynamics with my fellow faculty, with the students, with the administrators, etc. Figuring out how much work to do at night and on the weekends, balanced against spending quality time with my husband and keeping our house in a reasonable state. All decisions that will have to be discerned. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Basically there is a lot of change. I will try to keep this blog updated as to my progress with this transition along with anything interesting we're doing. We'll be celebrating my brother's birthday this weekend so I'm really excited to spend quality time with my family. I know I will have work to do, but I'm not sure even at this point how much and how to balance that with actually seeing my family. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">OK, enough stream of consciousness for one post. I hope you are all having a great August and welcome to the beginning of a new school year!</span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-80358946492328645842015-07-20T09:57:00.000-05:002015-07-20T09:57:27.196-05:00PhD Celebration Trip<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This past weekend, Matt took me on a trip to celebrate my graduation. He had asked me several months prior if I would rather have a physical gift or an experience as my gift and I'm so glad I chose the latter! He planned this getaway for us and it was absolutely perfect. At first, all I knew going into it was this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then a few weeks ago, he let me know the first night was at the <a href="http://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/fort-worth" target="_blank">Fort Worth Omni</a>, a hotel we had been to a couple of years ago. It was awesome to have one concrete thing to look forward to, given the rest of the trip was a complete surprise. My husband clearly knows me well as he planned the perfect trip for me. It pretty much consisted of amazing food, physical activities (to work off all the food), relaxation, and fun adventures. It is hard to believe it is already over and I'm so grateful to him for the time and effort he spent planning it for us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The trip began Friday after lunch when we drove to downtown Fort Worth and checked into the Omni.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Worth Water Gardens</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After checking out our amazing view, we went up to the rooftop pool area to enjoy the view and some tasty snacks. We hung out there for a few hours (got to see 4 F-16's take off), and then left to continue the rest of the evening. Dinner was at a local burger restaurant called <a href="http://www.rodeogoat.com/" target="_blank">Rodeo Goat</a>, known for its deliciously unique burgers. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the roof top grill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7K_XO3vdtqkHcBMCyKFdEMQE0YfU15zoQGDjIX9TJs1jwMKOpLKwhPITU244NKUZxk_mz7ZPaHeLC28fOfDmZ0Axw9w3v0uIir9IC9TCxH1Hq33LjfueaoZHdV3rD3Gj1aFqhqiWdfYM6/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7K_XO3vdtqkHcBMCyKFdEMQE0YfU15zoQGDjIX9TJs1jwMKOpLKwhPITU244NKUZxk_mz7ZPaHeLC28fOfDmZ0Axw9w3v0uIir9IC9TCxH1Hq33LjfueaoZHdV3rD3Gj1aFqhqiWdfYM6/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such good burgers!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsUIKc6GTKKyqgz-eh5kfYvusn5WvGsdZI_fbHc01KqxjSkqlpJbn8uiBxYLlgyPHQcQfeGRihJu1VG4qUA_L8iLsiyPdF7Aovvi4XAp39ZI4ipN6_NOXYTrU8KjHcce_1nN11Jvvk_V0/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsUIKc6GTKKyqgz-eh5kfYvusn5WvGsdZI_fbHc01KqxjSkqlpJbn8uiBxYLlgyPHQcQfeGRihJu1VG4qUA_L8iLsiyPdF7Aovvi4XAp39ZI4ipN6_NOXYTrU8KjHcce_1nN11Jvvk_V0/s320/013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My burger- the Chaca Oaxaca: beef & chorizo, avocado, pico de gallo, <br />fried egg, queso fresco, & tabasco mayo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IG2F1WW8xAUFpnKBnCU3z-q6TgkL8zK5TKG3olyQvGganq5hLsElRVWqTCWamLnHaiOC3QFZzXGotA_5QZ1tqr2XUiDcXFNBS6naBVWpsOvqmV-B5Bt158WA3vhZt7uCan6S1M0Ax1jJ/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IG2F1WW8xAUFpnKBnCU3z-q6TgkL8zK5TKG3olyQvGganq5hLsElRVWqTCWamLnHaiOC3QFZzXGotA_5QZ1tqr2XUiDcXFNBS6naBVWpsOvqmV-B5Bt158WA3vhZt7uCan6S1M0Ax1jJ/s320/014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt's choice, the Cowboy Murrin: applewood smoked bacon, tomato, jalapenos, <br />fried onion, cheddar, pickle chutney, housemade BBQ sauce</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After dinner, we wandered around the downtown area some more, before coming across some fun arcade games. Along with playing the largest version of Jenga I've ever seen, we also played a few rounds of skee ball and air hockey! Made for a fun end to our evening.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It eventually came crashing down...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next day we worked out at the Omni's fitness center (yes, Matt knows I need some form of physical activity every day), had a quick breakfast, and then went to spend the rest of the morning poolside. The water was a bit too cold to get in, but we were very happy to lay out and read our books. It was so relaxing and peaceful out there so I'm glad we took the time to just be quiet and enjoy the sunshine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We eventually had to check out, so after leaving the hotel and grabbing lunch at Sweet Tomatoes (all of the salad!), we hit the road for destination #2! I was driving and Matt was navigating, since he knew where we were going and I still didn't. However, after a little bit on the road my suspicions were confirmed-- we were going to College Station! We had a great drive back to the area we met and then did a driving tour of the area. We checked into our hotel and then got ready for our fine dining experience of the trip. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That evening, Matt took me to <a href="http://www.christophersworldgrille.com/" target="_blank">Christopher's</a>, an amazing restaurant that is perfect for celebrating special occasions! We had been a few times before but it was so nice to be back, especially to celebrate me earning my PhD. Texas A&M is where I first learned about criminology so being back in the area carried with it a nice symbolism. Plus, the food is absolutely delicious!! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RV29hQP_NhnGrkYIwldM9hN7Am0ZHIKb2Pq8x7JBVPmzcqNGpk_-ftjFs6uNqIoNE94ikgb74p-1A-3TnLoBMKQQRVVsUWjKpWMsLOdga4dtBPhh5ENKFK75CePmd_6uZhjhP2CMh3Nb/s1600/2015-07-18+17.52.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RV29hQP_NhnGrkYIwldM9hN7Am0ZHIKb2Pq8x7JBVPmzcqNGpk_-ftjFs6uNqIoNE94ikgb74p-1A-3TnLoBMKQQRVVsUWjKpWMsLOdga4dtBPhh5ENKFK75CePmd_6uZhjhP2CMh3Nb/s320/2015-07-18+17.52.53.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our appetizer: almond baked brie.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLIKw40A7txs1Wx1rC1dZ-jmXpyg4TR-kelJdGjaTWa0CrOzZKPeneuSZD7TCyTeaIjKXtrhTJG8AycKV1JZYS2SgiT_hBDXB5c8QIRYC6TjVo8jOviS49CgkxglzL0HHjZArdNF9BMHC/s1600/2015-07-18+18.20.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLIKw40A7txs1Wx1rC1dZ-jmXpyg4TR-kelJdGjaTWa0CrOzZKPeneuSZD7TCyTeaIjKXtrhTJG8AycKV1JZYS2SgiT_hBDXB5c8QIRYC6TjVo8jOviS49CgkxglzL0HHjZArdNF9BMHC/s320/2015-07-18+18.20.52.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why don't food pictures ever look as good as it does in real life? This <br />was my dish, the Italian Braised Beef Ribs. The boneless ribs were <br />melt-in-your-mouth tender and the polenta hiding underneath was <br />SO good. Easily one of my favorite dishes ever.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBB0udtkoAzx5R_tziO6wN7kD1sN54d1RcFK3Mj6cp1RQjaEB0vLDphVej0Ld0XUqrr36F7Kl6as86Bs9rFlx-Gjf-trf6TGJbnTAhnELBA3H2E4pujo7NECphoFRkxtAn_pI5IVrB9dAb/s1600/2015-07-18+18.20.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBB0udtkoAzx5R_tziO6wN7kD1sN54d1RcFK3Mj6cp1RQjaEB0vLDphVej0Ld0XUqrr36F7Kl6as86Bs9rFlx-Gjf-trf6TGJbnTAhnELBA3H2E4pujo7NECphoFRkxtAn_pI5IVrB9dAb/s320/2015-07-18+18.20.58.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt's equally awesome dish: South American Marinated Beef.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our dessert- chocolate & peanut butter cake</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next morning we took a 2-hour walk around campus. Even though it has only been 4 years since we graduated, a decent amount has changed both on and around campus. Yet it was still nice to be back and very much made us feel at home. Until we saw the new Kyle Field! My goodness is that place huge! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt in front of Bright, his AERO building</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Administration Building in the early morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only we would take a picture of the library :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Flag Room-- figure it's rare to see it with NO ONE ELSE</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kyle Field!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: start;">About 6.5 miles later, we eventually wandered our way back to the hotel, got cleaned up, and headed out for lunch. We went to Fuego's, enjoyed some delicious tacos, then headed home. It was very bittersweet leaving, knowing we were headed back to real life after such an amazing trip. Throughout the weekend, Matt made a point to make sure I felt celebrated and that was certainly fulfilled! Guess it makes it really official now, right?</span></span></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028270954808594171.post-64660802722210241062015-06-22T06:00:00.000-05:002015-06-22T07:44:29.477-05:00My Quasi-Unemployed Summer<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since I have graduated, many have asked me what I do with my time. Unexpectedly, it seems like I'm busier than I have been the previous summers! Don't get me wrong, I love it. I love getting to work on these things (most of the time). I just figured I should share what I'm actually doing with my time. Hopefully it will explain why I've been MIA on my blog :)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=193" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Typically every Monday and Wednesdays, I work on my research. That can involve one (or more) of the following activities: reading and taking notes on articles, writing, running analyses, cleaning data, writing emails to professors and peers (I'm not sure where I fit in the world yet), and editing papers. Publish or perish, right? </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1144" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I dedicate Tuesdays and Thursdays to course prep. I have 3 courses that I am prepping this summer- 2 that I will be teaching in the fall and the 3rd is an online class I'll be teaching in the spring, but it has to be completed by September. Right now I'm working on writing up course outlines and exams for the online course (research design). Then I'll be putting together lectures, exams, and assignments for my other two courses (criminology and community corrections). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Friday tends to be my 'catch-up' day, where I deal with emails that I had been putting off and trying to finish up some of the other tasks that hadn't been completed quite yet. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1521" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I try to take the weekends off for the most part. That probably won't always be the case, especially once the fall rolls around, but I'm enjoying it right now :)</span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359171971118766218noreply@blogger.com3