Happy Anniversary!

Wow! I can't believe its been two years since that warm November day in the vineyard! I remember all the excitement I had about marrying the man of my dreams! I will never forget the love, laughter, and great memories made with our family and friends over the weekend.

Daniel, I love you more today than the day I married you! You are such a great loving person and even though you can't remember what I like on a pizza you give so much! ;) I love that we are content spending the day on the lake, hiking or biking in the mountains, or simply just watching Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory or Office marathons. Its the little things in life! ;)

Michael Buble says it well...
"And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, you make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything."

Every day you make a point to tell me how much I mean to you. Daniel, that simple act of love makes my entire day! I can not imagine life without you and can not wait for many more great years to come!
Happy Anniversary! I love you!

PS....Remember on pizza -Its NOT meat its the veggies that I like! ;)

Happy Birthday Cass!

Who would of thought asking for chapter notes would lead to so many memories? How many years ago did we live in the Hump Dump? Wait don't answer that!!!

Love ya girl! Hope you had a great birthday!

Homeless Again...and New Happenings

Does time seem to be flying to anyone else? I feel like just the other day it was June! At the moment our lives are consumed with insurance, hail, and repairs.. Blah, blah,blah. So, let me just jump in. We are homeless yet again as of this past Monday. We hauled the 5th wheel into the shop and according to the dealership repairs might take until the END of November (yea you read that right)! I am not happy about this for obvious reasons and the fact that I only packed for a week. I guess that means I will have to go shopping. Sorry Daniel;) We found a nice place to call home after searching for several days! Everything is booked up insurance adjusters, roofers, etc.
Two weeks ago Daniel and I ran a 5k benefiting Greater El Paso PT District as well as the El Paso Spinal Cord Support Group. We really enjoyed running together as well with, Daniel's coworkers from the hospital! We decided to register for a 10K the next weekend as soon as we crossed the finish line. I know Andrea...we are crazy! ;)

A car combined with a motorcycle!


I spent most of last week trying to keep a migraine at bay however, it won. I started feeling better towards the end of the week and was able to get things packed and organized for the big repair trip. I was not thrilled about packing again in the middle of this rotation so I put if off as long as possible.
We did spend several evenings sitting around the fire catching up with our new friends. I love this time of year when the nights get cool and the fire is warm. It does make me miss the trees changing and Hog Football. Could someone bottle those for me? Ha ;)
Last Saturday we took the hunters education safety course. I took the course when I was much much younger and decided to retake it so Daniel wouldn't be by himself. I also remember the course being easy. This one was not and the teacher was strict. I was so nervous when I had to shoot I felt like a kid getting scolded. Anyway, we both passed and I told Daniel he owed me for subjecting myself to that torture!

Sunday I was feeling better and we decided to and run in the Spira Worlds Fastest 10K Run benefiting Million Koins For Kids and National Psoriasis Foundation. Oh my goodness was it ever fun and we both ran our personal bests! The race started at Smugglers Gap (the highest point of Trans-Mountain road)which is 5280 feet high and drops 3,000 ft during the race. It was so cold when we started and hot when we finished! I think we have many more races together in our future! I love doing them but Daniel has never wanted to enter. I now think he understands why I am always registering for runs and triathlons! ;)
Another new happening: Daniel is playing on a softball league with guys from the hospital. He is loving it and I enjoy watching him play! So far they are all having a great time! Now if we can just keep him injury free..haha if you know him, you know that is not possible!


On a completely random side note I wanted to pass long a favorite site Coupons.com Who doesn't like to save money on things you buy weekly? At the moment they also have several coupons for toys (like Mr Potato Head and the Sit n Spin) and they don’t expire until 1/15/10. I am excited as this year we have new nieces and nephews (3 additional ones with 8 total and 5 under 3) to shop for! I can't wait for all the new little ones at the holidays this year!
Speaking of little ones..
I received a request for the blog and I can't let down little A! Isn't she a cutie? Her family is awaiting the arrival of little brother! Excitement! In this picture A is putting on a puppet show for her mama while she rests. I think its just too cute and shows her adorable personality! A message to A: Hey A! I hope you are being good for your mommy and daddy! Have a great weekend! Hershey and Chance say hi! ;)
Well....both dogs and Daniel are snoozing and I am wondering why I have not changed the channel off of ESPN? I am realizing my eyes are closing as I type..so who knows what fun things I have forgotten to post.

I guess that is it for this week. We hope everyone has a great weekend! The flu is in full force in EP and I am trying my best to keep it away!
Love and Miss ya,
Daniel and Melissa

Where does time go and why yes we DO have an award winning dog ;)

Where does time go? I mean seriously!?! It seems just like yesterday we were on our way to Omaha and I was carving a pumpkin for Halloween. The scenery this year is nothing like corn stalks, scarecrows, and pumpkins of last year! ;) Get ready for lots of pictures! We have been keeping up our normal schedule of traveling. Sine the last post we have been to the lake house, white water rafting, Dock Diving, made it through a hail storm to name a few.

We miss being close to the water so we headed to the lake house for Labor Day weekend. Jill and Jason were able to meet us and we loved being able to catch up with them! We don't get to see our friends often so when we do we treasure our time! We had an absolute blast, visited with the neightbors, played in the lake, and are so glad we made the dirve! J and J we miss you guys already!
The next weekend we stayed in EP and as always kept busy. One night we went to a local hang out to listen to Daniels co-workers band and they continued to impress. That same weekend Hershey became our award winning Dock Diving Dog! She was the 2nd place winner at the 2009 El Paso Dog Swim Splash Dog Jumping Contest. Yes folks it was a proud moment with her 12 foot jump! ;)
The next week was Daniel's birthday. On his actual birthday I made breakfast, healthy "cupcakes" and we went to dinner at his favorite-Texas Roadhouse. He got a lot of Longhorn Burnt Orange (my eyes, my eyes) and had a great birthday! I love you Daniel!
The next weekend I surprised Daniel (for his birthday) with a whitewater rafting trip in NM on the Rio Grande River. I had been whitewater rafting before but this was Daniel's first time. It was so much fun and a definite must for anyone in the area! Our amazing friends Laura, Anthony, and little Babs invited us to stay with them. They have a beautiful house in Albuquerque and were amazing hosts. We can't wait to come back!


Saturday after whitewater rafting we headed back to Albuquerque along the way we stopped at a winery to get Laura a special treat of handmade chocolates. The four of us had dinner at a local yummy restaurant and then ended the night watching the AR (what is the deal with our HOGS?) and TX games at the lively restaurant Saggios. Our doggies had a great time with Babs!! I still can't get over how much Chance and Babs look alike!


As luck would have it the New Mexico State Fair was hosting Dock Dogs this year. We decided early in the week to enter Hershey on Sunday. We were pretty confident due to her performance the weekend before in EP and we had spent the entire Labor Day weekend and all summer watching her jump off the dock! She didn't disappoint although this particular dock made her hesitate a little. We are working on a new technique in hope that she will continue to increase in distance off the dock. Drumroll..Hershey did it again! Second place Big Air, Dock Dogs in her division at the New Mexico Sate Fair! We were so proud of her. I am sure you can't tell by all the pictures!





Actual jump

We walked around the fair and rode a crazy ride that almost made Daniel well you know ;) We saw the farm animals, cars, tigers, and everything that happens at a state fair. I realized very quickly I had not been to a fair in several years.





Before leaving we had dinner at an amazing steak house and then hit the road. Laura and Anthony, thank you guys so much we had a wonderful time!!We can't wait to come back and hang out again! Get ready for the winter!

Last night we meet Freddy (who was in Livingston with us) for dinner while he is traveling through to his next location. We had a great time seeing you Freddy and hope we can catch up again soon!

Over the past few weeks I have decided at times I like being an adult and then other times I do not. Last week we experienced a major hail storm (70mph winds combined with golf ball size and larger) and found ourselves with both vehicles un-drivable as the front windows were completely busted out. This was not the first time I have endured hail damage this is just the first time it has affected everything in our lives. Our fifth wheel even has extensive damage with skylights busted through, all the exterior lights missing, etc. My vehicle was declared a complete loss so we are going to try the one car family for a few months. Apparently the hail was so bad the body shops are saying the cars look like they have been hit with machine guns. We are waiting to get our truck back and then in few weeks our 5th wheel goes in for repairs. Another hotel for us!

During all the hail excitement Daniel's rotation got extended until Jan! We are so excited to be here through the holidays as the thought of looking for a new location with a fifth wheel in the shop is stress we don't need!
Through all of the hail adventure I took a few days off of training for the 3 Day Walk but I am now back on schedule and can't believe it is coming up soon!

We miss all of you and hope things are going great with each of you!
Love Daniel and Melissa

PS I am dealing with a bad headache today so please disregard horrific grammar usage or misspellings. ;(

Happy Birthday Andrea!

I know you are at home and checking in on the blog...so I wanted to wish you a very happy birthday!


A Friend is a Treasure
A friend is someone we turn to,
when our spirits need a lift.
A friend is someone we treasure,
for our friendship is a gift.
A friend is someone who fills our lives,
with beauty, joy and grace.
And make the world we live in,
a better and happier place.

A treat for you!:)




Remember: Birthdays are nature's way of telling us to eat more cake.
We love you and hope you have had a great birthday!
Daniel and Melissa

Happy Birthday Daniel!

Happy Birthday to the love of my life! I am so thankful that we are able to travel with our jobs at such a young age. Daniel you are such a loving, caring, and giving husband and you make me the happiest woman in the world. I fall in love with you more and more each day. I am honored to call myself your wife!

I love you!

The not so good and the good

I realize now a lot has happened in since my last post. Here goes and I will try my hardest to make this flow....

Not So Good:
Since arriving in El Paso we have had some amazing Mexican food...as to be expected. For the past 2 years I had been hearing about Chicos Tacos from a client. She told me to order the tacos and that they would not disappoint. The restaurant was packed as we stood in line. After much confusion in our translation from English to Spanish we orderd "a single" and to my surprise it is recommended with french fries (yea I know). This is what arrived


Yep it was just as nasty as it looks!! The tacos were more like small fried meat substance filled chimi changas in a watered down tomato soup with a handful of a shredded cheese like product. We tasted it and waited for the other to comment. It was not comparable to anything I have ever eaten except for salt! Notice the school lunchroom style french fries..yes they were as tasty as the "tacos." We both left nauseous and disgusted from all the people enjoying their lunch and vowed never to return. When I questioned my client and Daniel questioned his work they said "oh its an acquired taste." I can't get over the fact that they are always packed!! I think acquired taste just like Casa Taco in Fayetteville! haha

The Good:
On a completely different note if ever in El Paso in the summer a must see/do is Viva El Paso! The outdoor amphitheater is nestled in the Franklin Mountains, providing a dramatic backdrop for the depiction of the unique history of this Southwestern region. Its an amazing musical show that has been around for 32 years!

I had no idea what to expect but it did not disappoint! The performance details 400 years through Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and Western American people (by story of a family and their ancestry) through traditional dance, original song, brilliant costumes, and special effects.




Another good:
My parents celebrated 36 years (WOW) of marital bliss in August! I have learned so much from them and could never begin to tell them how much they mean to me! Happy Anniversary Mama and Daddy! Daniel - Isn't this a great picture!

A Great!
Baby Connor came home from the NICU after a 2 week stay. He was having some trouble with his oxygen levels as well as regulating his body temperature but is now doing great and growing like crazy at home! My parents have both been in Austin to help Ben and Ann with the new arrival. My mom was able with them while Connor was in the hospital before school started and my dad when he came home. Mama and daddy have both told me he is the cutest thing ever and by the tone in their voices and pictures its obvious they think the first McKenzie grandchild is perfect! I know they are ready visit together so they can start spoiling him!! Connor we are so happy you are home!




A Wonderful
Our amazing friends Jason and Jill got engaged! We can't wait for your wedding! We are so happy for you both and do not think you could complete each other better!

The Fab...
Daniel and I have continued to say busy on the weekends. A few of the guys from Daniel's work have a band so we been listening to some local music. We took a trip to Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico and spent the entire day in the cool cave and learning about the area. We hiked down from the natural entrance and it was amazing! The Big Room at the bottom of the cave was a 8.2 acre of excitement! At dusk we saw the flight of Mexican bats out of the cave. We both highly recommend this trip to anyone!
Carlsbad Caverns













Mexican Bat Flight



This past weekend we set out to go mountain biking and accomplished it as well as rock climbing, hiking, and caving. Finished the day a little sunburned having dinner at the World Renown Cattleman's Steakhouse with some new friends!















We didn't get to Cattleman's Steak House in Faben's TX, until later in the evening and are definitely going to make a trip back. We had no idea what the ranch entailed besides a few movie sets. It includes a lake, a zoo, exotic animals, a maze, along with Old West memorabilia including an antique wagon collection, a western town, and an old working stable. The food was outstanding and we can't wait to go again!

And More Good!
I am deep into training and fund raising for the Breast Cancer 3-Day in November. So far I have logged 315 training miles with many more to go!! I am really excited to continue this journey and anxious to walk 60 miles over the course of three days with thousands of other women and men in the Dallas –Fort Worth area. My hope is that one day there will be a cure and all the ones I love will be safe from this disease. To learn more please visit my personal page.

Well I guess that is about it. I am packing for the weekend and am ready for some fun on the lake! Daniel is excited to have Monday off and relax for a few days! We are still enjoying El Paso and you are all welcome anytime! Have a safe and great weekend!
Love
Daniel and Melissa

Umm...Well at least its an update!

Alright everyone..we are here! Get ready for picture overload!! We had an amazing fun and relaxing week at the lake house and as always it was so hard to leave!
Enjoying the Lake
**Click on any picture to make it bigger







We left the lake on Thursday and headed West and stopped along the way and visited with Daniel's Aunt Martha and cousin Glen. We spent night in Midland/Odessa and then got back on the road for a day that seemed to never end. I had been warned about the "nothingness" between Fort Stockton and El Paso but when I say nothing I literally mean nothing! Daniel and I are always in different cars so the entire trip we call each other ponder things like what people did on wagons traveling that terrain.

The Lake and Trip Out to El Paso...

We have been pretty busy since arriving: almost crossing the boarder twice; driving the Southern Rim Road and shopping in downtown El Paso; mountain biking in the Franklin Mountains - the southern most part of the Rockies in the US; going to an El Paso Diablos baseball game with Daniel's work; figuring out the area and finding a safe place to stay; making a trip to Dallas to see a few special peeps some of those are 4 legged and check on my grandmother after her knee replacement and see my mama; seeing and catching up with my lil sis (sorority) Jennifer during dinner while she was in town (I forgot my camera), and taking a trip to Alamaogordo, NM to the White Sands National Monument as well as a weekend camping mountain adventure in Ruidoso, NM. We have had an encounter with wild horses, a mule deer, and what my dad says were probably wild hogs. Being a Razorback fan..still not a fan of wild hogs especially with the heinea like noise! ;)

Our New Home Site!



Downtown El Paso and Driving the Southern Rim

Ciudad Juárez

Mtn biking in El Paso at the Franklin Mountains - The Southern tip of the Rocky Mountains in the US



El Paso Diablos game.. They lost horribly but we had fun with new friends!




Camping in Ruidoso, NM



White Sands National Monument


In other exciting news guess who made an appearance a little early... Little Connor Pascal Chen McKenzie was born 7/27/2009. Ann and Ben are doing good and Connor is growing a little more everyday! We all think he is pretty cute!


Daniel's job is going great and so far so good. We really like this area and all the outdoor activities available. Remember their is an open invitation to everyone anytime. We love visitors and comments! ;)
Love Daniel and Melissa

Up Next...

Hint: "Out in the west Texas town of El Paso..."


We are excited!Get ready to read about new fun things!
Love,
Daniel and Melissa

Big 30, Austin, and the 4th of July!

Yep I am officially 30 and all I can say is that I had no idea what was in the works for me. Daniel threw me a surprise party! WHAT?!?! I know!!!! SURPRISED!! I guess I am loved more than I even thought possible. So many of my friends and family had gathered to surprise me, even from out of state. I mean what more could a girl ask for...An amazing dinner with friends on Friday night as well as a surprise!!
Saturday I had birthday chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and then spent the day shopping, getting a pedi, grabbing a fruity drink, and having girl time. I was told we were going to a show that evening however, when I walked in I realized I was the show! I had an amazing 30th birthday and have to say a thank you to so many of my friends who helped Daniel make this possible. I received some amazing gifts and can't thank everyone enough for all the trouble they went through! I love you all so much! I have been told I am not easy to surprise..a girls gotta know what she needs to wear and pack when she is packing for 3 weeks away from her home including her birthday and trips to the lake..right?!? ;) Daniel I loved every bit of it; the pool party, decorations, great food, fun times, and many memories! I love you from the bottom of my heart and will never forget my 30th birthday!
My parents came in for the party and my mom and I headed north to spend a few days at my grandparents house. We were able to also celebrate father's day with my daddy on Sunday (at where else but KFC) and gave him his very own hand painted ice cream bowl! He loved it and we love you daddy!
During our quick visit it was determined my grandmother is having knee replacement surgery later this month. Mama came back to Longview with me for the rest of the week. We had so much shopping for Ben and Ann's baby, in general, and spending time together. Mama you were a blast and I am glad we were able to spend the week hanging out!! Daniel, mama, and I headed to Austin for the weekend to see family and friends. Daniel and I spent Friday night with his parents and were able to see his sister Michelle and family as well as some of his parents life long friends. As you can see from this picture Daniel got in some good quality time with Tory! It was so nice to see everyone. Unfortunately I had not been feeling well most of the week(and actually the week before) and ended up at the doctor on Sat morning with an abnormal sinus infection. I received a message right before my birthday from Phaedra who is like a sister to me "You'll be 30???? At the stroke of midnight you'll start getting aches and pains doing simple things like bending down to tie a shoe. But trust me, you'll enjoy the 30s better than the 20s." I love it and couldn't agree more! I am feeling so much better and really appreciate Daniel, Mary and my mama taking care of me!

Mama, Daniel, and I spent Saturday night putting the baby's room together at Ben and Ann's new house and were able to surprise them big time on Sunday morning. They could not have been more excited to see everything. We are so glad you guys liked everything and we can't wait to meet the little guy!
We finally got the 5th wheel back after almost 3 weeks and of course something had to go wrong. The AC would not stop blowing the breaker and it was only a mild 100 degrees. Who needs AC? Luckily it was an easy fix! Everything seems to great with the repairs, new roof and awning. Yippie! We are staying a new park and so far love it! We won't be here for long as Daniel's last day is on Friday. We are still up in the air on our next location but hopefully will sign something soon!
We headed to the lake house for the 4th with Jill, Jill's cousin Erin, and Jason. We had a blast and of course got some major sun time as well as relaxing in! I am sad Jill, Erin, and I were having so much fun we didn't even get a picture together. Why does that always happen? We had an amazing time at the lake and can't wait to go back!! Poor Chance hurt his knee early Saturday morning and spent the weekend curled up in a corner. I am happy to report after a visit to the vet and x-rays..no broken bones! He twisted his knee and we should know by the beginning of next week if its an ACL injury. He is starting to use his leg again and the swelling has significant decreased. I was so sad for Daniel as he was feeling Chance's pain.
I also have to mention that the 4th was Kylie's birthday! Welcome to the 30 club! We miss you!
Well again like I always say this rotation has flown by! We can't believe we only have a few short days left here. I promise to post when I know of our next location. We have such better reception here! ;) We miss you all and can't wait to hear from all of you! Sending much love from East TX!
Daniel and Melissa