Happy Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family here in San Antonio...  We have so much to be thankful for this year (especially my dad's health)!!! 

The weather has turned cold (30's at night and 70's in the day) and it has really put us in the Christmas spirit.   We already have our decor up for Christmas ) -- above are pictures of our decorations and our new drapes -- installed just in time for the holidays.  :  )

We took advantage of Black Friday this year -- Dustin was eager to participate since he wasn't having to prepare for finals (THANK GOODNESS!).  We all got up at 5 am and hit the shops at The Rim and La Cantera -- and then had lunch with The Burkholder's at our newly opened Z Tejas....mmmm LOVE SAN ANTONIO!  It's finally feeling like home... 

Official & Licensed!

Dustin passed the bar exam!  He was sworn in, Sunday, November 7th in the Hockley County Courthouse.  It was a very special day.  Judge Phelan swore him in, in front of our families and our friends, The Burkholders from San Antonio.  :  ) 

We're very blessed!

We are alive!

We have been blowing and going, but we are so happy that November is here.  November for me, means I get a week off for Thanksgiving.... the thought of that makes everything better.  We had a fun October!  We had a Halloween Party and Dustin and I were "Lincoln Logs."  He dressed up as "Abe" and I had a shirt of "logs," (math problems).  Tomorrow night we are having a "Wear your Red Jeans," party in celebration of Election Day.  We said no "blue" jeans allowed, since we are hoping that the red (Republicans) take over in the House and Senate.  But I will GLADLY WELCOME A BLUE GOVERNOR!  We've been busy, but this has kept our mind off of the bar exam results that come out this Thursday and it has certainly helped pass the time.  We have such great friends for support; we are very lucky.  :  )

Dustin's Webpage

You can check out Dustin's personal profile and his firm's new website since adding a new partner.  

http://www.mani-sloan.com/who-we-are/category/attorneys/ 

Click on Dustin when at the above website to read his full, legal resume!

October is the BEST month!

October used to really be my favorite month when I ENJOYED birthdays, but after 21....they aren't quite as "incentive-y" anymore (16, 18, 21)...  Now it's like is this the year I am going to have to begin dying my hair to hide the gre/ays?   However, October weather in South Texas is amazing.  Cool nights -- cool enough for some fireplace action or chiminea outdoors.  Thanks to my dad, who chopped down a dead tree in our front yard, we now have a large collection of firewood.  

My mom and dad are here visiting for a few days -- we have had some delicious, healthy food -- and had a nice birthday dinner for my mom's and my birthdays.  Yes, we're a little early for those of you thinking you missed it -- haha you didn't...not until later in the month, but we celebrate ALL of October, ha.  

We had some German food in Fredericksburg, did some antique shopping in Comfort and finished our Saturday afternoon off in Boerne -- cute cute small towns!!!  Dustin spent the weekend hunting with his firm -- they shot over 100 birds and didn't bring a one of them home -- YEAHHHHHH!

Dustin bought his first new car as a big boy yesterday.  He shopped and shopped and shopped some more -- city to city, dealership vs. other dealerships etc. etc. etc.  I am exhausted, but he FINALLY got up the courage to buy himself a Range Rover Sport.  It is beautiful -- we picked it up last night.  White with black leather -- would he own anything else?  Once you have had the dark interior it's hard to go back to light....

This weekend is going to be a weekend to ourselves -- no plans, no musts, no obligations.  : )  It is loooooong overdue.  

Fall Weddings Check!

This was our last wedding until winter....we have November off -- whewwww....unless of course there is the unexpected, ha. We had the BEST time at Amber's wedding -- a great "reunion," of all of my high school friends and their families. Stevi, Dillon's sister, was the photographer --- she is quite talented. Her first picture she posted from the night was of Dustin or Elvis or Snickers = Snelvis!

God Blessed Texas!

Well -- it has been a while since we last blogged.  We have been overwhelmingly busy with work and of course play.  :  )  Dustin's job is going well -- he truly is happy, and is meeting his bill-a-bles (however you spell that!).  It is the end of the quarter and he's chasing his bonus...so he's been extra busy this week.  I on the other hand am still searching for the "down," time I had expected following the start of school -- I am still soooo swamped and hope it calms down soon.  We have been running around from multiple trips to Lubbock, Vegas with my high school girlfriends etc.  Dustin had the pleasure of visiting Lubbock for the UT / Tech game.  Poor Polo, he really needs  new UT collar -- his is sooo tattered from wearing it so long (all seasons since we have had him except 1, in case you were counting) -- any takers to send a new one?  J/K  We are getting him the Vineyard Vine whale collar for his upcoming birthday (Nov. 1) http://www.vineyardvines.com/product__110857_____31556_13050

I went to Vegas with my high school girlfriends for Amber's Bachelorette Party a week ago -- FUN is an understatement.  We got NO sleep from clubbing, gambling and just catching up....a priceless trip.  A few pics are above.  We are headed to Lubbock this weekend for Amber and Jeremy's wedding -- a cute couple with a FANTASTIC band planned---ELEMENT...We are so pumped!  We also went to Lubbock for Papa Claude's funeral -- a huge loss, but no one can ever say the man did not have a fulfilled life!  He married so many of our friend's parents (Kyna's and Dillon's) -- made a lasting impression on many of his students.  

It has been a busy few weeks!  I just returned, today from a 3 day trip to Austin for a data-analysis conference for math and science...yes it was the headache it sounds like.  I luckily was on the UT campus that did not have shooter.  I didn't even have a clue that this was going on until Tonna texted me about what was going on...I was at the research campus, 8 miles north of the main campus.  Thankfully, no one was hurt and God truly did bless Texas today!  HOOK 'EM.  My dad had his first follow-up appointment yesterday and all is well!  He had some reactions to his medications early on that caused some issues, but they are working to get that sorted out, but his levels of everything are optimal, so we're happy.  He still kids me when we talk on the phone that he has to go so that he can go and flip his chicken-fry, but my mom e-mails me what he eats, so he really doesn't have me fooled.  :  )  I am a stickler about this low-fat, no red meat diet.  Thursday my mom was phase 2 of her root-canal.  She compares it with child-birth....hmmmm I am going to floss, rinse with mouthwash, and brush extra long tonight! I will post pics from Amber's wedding after this weekend.  :  )