Melissa and Daniel - Travel Adventures

6 months

2012-01-27T19:45:00.001-06:00

I can't believe Wyatt turned 6 months on Saturday. I really feel like I was just pregnant and leaving the hospital with a new baby. In all honesty though, we have a had a lot going on and are having to hold on and treasure the moments and milestones. We are in the depths of medical testing for Daniel. Luckily it seems as though we are a little closer to a diagnosis which ultimately, could still go many ways but we are hoping for the best. This has brought with it several levels of stress and challenges..but what doesn't!! We are riding this roller coaster as it comes! :)

After a stressful week, we decided on Saturday morning to head to Moody Gardens for the day. I had not visited before but Daniel went several times with his Mi-mommy as a kiddo. We had a blast! I loved more than anything spending the day with my boys. A storm was rolling in from the Gulf and it was amazing! We spent several hours looking at fish, animals, plants, etc and then ended the visit with a quick walk on the beach. Wyatt laughed a lot and talked with us all day. It was a great way to spend his 6 month birthday! We stopped by Daniel's sisters on the way home and visited with them for a few hours. We enjoy being able to see them and Wyatt gets in some play time with his nieces and nephews. Sunday was a day of homework for Daniel. We both can't wait until this class is over!
So far this week has been super busy thus...a late weekly post. :) We had major rain and as a result discovered several new leaks in places completely fine before. Daniel has contacted the manufacture and we are hopefully making some headway. I am so frustrated and started looking again at 2013 models online. I was completely against trading this one in as I feel that if you spend a ton of money a product should be reliable..well I am almost over that after 4 years! Well, I mean I am considering it! HA! I bet Daniel is screaming FINALLY!!! :)
Anyway, hope everyone is doing great! We started Wyatt on real solid food this week...so fun pictures to come! :)

Week 2 Flying High...

2012-01-16T17:00:00.000-06:00

A new found love?

Yep - I think the belly laughs say it all!

About the only thing that will keep this little guy happy while more teeth (six) come in ...time outside and flying! Yep- we do this a lot! :)

Also- as promised a few pics of the new "layout." It isn't exactly how I want things (and unless we get a new 5th wheel it never will be) as I never unpacked the picture frames, kitchen stuff, etc when we arrived. We have a ton of items to get fixed/replaced on the 5th wheel- blowout repairs, leak issues, slide issues, carpet and wall issues, lights not working, propane and water heater glitches, and general carpentry things that have fallen apart..(yes I said fallen apart) so I decided to wait. We also have plans to possibly move parks..we are the youngest couple by about 40-50 years. The logistics of moving at the right time, figuring out how long the 5th wheel will be at the dealer, ordering parts, dealing with the warranty company, finding a place to live, and the rotation assignment has just been unworkable. We both hope that very, very soon we can figure all of it out. Daniel and I are ready for a time when we do not have to deal with major issues from this 5th wheel!!

Did you notice..baby girl Hershey in every picture? Its a small place and she can see me from any location but that won't do...she's always under my feet!! Regardless I still love her!

Lots of hugs from us!

Week 1...as promised

2012-01-09T22:06:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! We were in Austin to celebrate the new year and Christmas with Daniel's family. (More on that in the long catch up post.) We spent new years eve with the Casey and Calvin, an evening out with dinner and a movie MI4. To be honest, I am not a movie person unless it is a good comedy...but I did however, enjoy this one. :) We had a fantastic time catching up! My parents (well really my mama) kept Wyatt for us at Ben and Ann's house. I am pretty sure she had lots of help.... however, she was the one that was still awake when we came to pick him up. She said he was fantastic and just slept, ate, played, then fell asleep after watching a little football. Leaving him for this long was a biggie as this was the longest time I would have been away from him. I did fine and only texted to say that I was putting my phone on vibrate. I am so glad he was good. Poor little guy is getting 4 teeth and has been a little grumpy. I don't blame him, I would be as well!! Thank you all for watching him. I know he was well loved and had a great time!

Sunday we met the Shellenberger family for lunch. We always love getting to see our friends while in town, though its always fast and furious. We also visited with my family before leaving and stopped by Casey and Calvin's house to pick up some yummy fish. Thank you to Daniel's mom for letting us come in again and spread out at your house!
This week has been very low key. We unpacked, played lots of fetch, spent a lot of time outside, played with new toys, and enjoyed being "home." I also worked on organization and a new layout of the 5th wheel. We really don't have that many options but, I wanted to try something new. Wyatt has lots of fun toys from Christmas and I really wanted to keep the bouncer inside instead of having to take it apart (which is easy but still) and store it in the cargo trailer every evening. I still have to take it apart due to space but, it is much easier to slide it in its new space inside! I figure I am always moving things around so why not continue :) I will post pictures when I am completely finished!

Daniel also started his last class! We celebrated with cheesecake after a hard week of his class. As what seems to the norm with school..this last class is the hardest! He can do it and I am so proud of him for what he is accomplishing!
Watching the Hogs play in the Cotton Bowl and take home a win!!

As for Wyatt he is a growing, cereal lovin, talking, rolling, stomach sleeping, bouncer loving, teething machine, that is trying to crawl and never stops moving. We. love. it! He is playing more and more with his toys and really enjoys the ones he can grasp and move on his own! He loves to giggle and will crack up over anything! He really is a lot of fun at this stage and I know it is going to get even better.

I will leave you with a predicament I caught Wyatt in this week...

Until next..or hopefully sooner if I can ever get all the pictures uploaded for the catch up post..live it up and stick your fingers in your nose!
Melissa

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T10:26:00.002-06:00

Whew Wooie....this year flew by. This year was truly an amazing one for the Basham's. We were busy traveling a lot with two cross country moves followed by several quick unexpected moves. Yes, they were stressful but the adventure and memories were worth all the obstacles. It did come with medical hiccups and bumps but, what year doesn't always seem to be filled with some sort of surprise. We were blessed more than we ever thought possible with the arrival of Wyatt G.P. He continues to fill our hearts with gummy smiles and belly laughs every day much more than we ever imagined. We were fortunate to play in the ocean, snowboard, hike, travel, and explore in parts of the country that were new to us! Hershey girl once again made her mama and daddy proud by winning in Dock Diving competitions in 2011. Chance...well he was just a lover as many know! We were not able to see our friends and family as much as in the past due to the majority of the year being so far away...but at least we did get to see many of those that we love. The holidays this year were all amazing spending time with our loves and experiencing many firsts with "The W" (as Daniel and I jokingly refer to him). Ultimately this year was outstanding regardless of the bumps we encountered.

And since clearly I am not going to ever get around to ordering New Years cards..

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We hope that 2012 brings each one of you much joy and happiness.

So with that, I leave you with a promise. I am going to make the resolution of a 52 week project. This year I will post at least once a week. I did this in the beginning and it was so much easier than going back and trying to cover a few weeks..months at once. Some weeks will be short with just a picture and others more in-depth. Its not about me taking more pictures, as I assure you that is not the problem. The little guys life and our travels are well photo documented!! I just know this will keep me on track. We are busy while living on the road and I want all of it to be in a book so that one day..when we do stop living the life of "gypsies" we can look back and truly understand what an adventure we were living!

And yes..I am STILL working on a post to backdate our travels up to now..its almost done and it. is. long!!

Happy New Year! We love each and every one of you!
Daniel, Melissa, and Wyatt

Welcome Baby Boy!

2011-11-12T10:30:00.003-06:00

First I feel the need to jump into real time and explain (if nothing else but for myself when I look back to read the blog book) why it has taken me so long to blog about Wyatt's birth up to this point. 1. We have moved 3 times in the past 3 months. This is a bit more than normal, as we typically only move every 3 months. We traveled from Oregon to Arkansas when he was just a few days old (more on that later) to Pine Bluff, AR. Then at just around a month at that rotation we had to abruptly move to Hot Springs. We got very lucky as assignments in AR are never on the board. Again after about a month another abrupt move and this time to east TX. We made the move 2 weeks ago are hoping to stay here at least until the holidays. It seems as though just as I finally get things set up, we were moving again. 2. We have been busy showing this boy off! We visited my parents several weekends, made a trip to NWA to see friends, Daniel's mom came to visit us for 2 weeks, made a trip to Austin, went to a wedding, have had several visitors, and we have been on the road. Anyway, it is time to get back to blogging and as a result of us being a way from both sets of grandparents...I promise, cross my heart, fingers, and toes to update more often! Promise, promise, promise! Its not like some of you (you know who you are) won't call me out anyway! :)

Now back to the story...I got set up in a room, hooked to monitors, and it was time to wait. I will say this..I thought the whole process was going to be a lot quicker! I knew that my doctor was on call on Thursday so I was very excited! I had a feeling for some reason that things would just work out and she would be the one to deliver our baby. I felt very comfortable when the on-call doctor came in and told me that my doctor was coming in around 7am so we would just wait to see what happened. The nurses kept telling me I should get some sleep however, that was not going to happen. I was too excited to meet my baby. I still couldn't believe I was in labor. I did get up and walk a few times but nothing was changing and in my mind..heck let me go run. I think sometime around 4am the doctor came in and said they were going to start some Pitocin. I was a little nervous because I really wanted my doctor. She walked out of the room and I looked over at my parents and said "Wait, I thought my doctor was going to deliver..." My three cheerleaders supported me by saying they were sure things would work out. I was so nervous because my doctor knew all of my migraine concerns and honesty I didn't want to have to go through this process without her. It took a little while (although I have no idea how long) for contractions to start. My doctor came on shift and some of my self imposed nervousness was relieved. I was so happy to see her.
When the contractions started I was in bed and wanted more than anything to get up. In fact I finally asked if I could and the nurse said it was fine. My thought process - moving around would help things and make me not concentrate on the contractions so much. I honestly only remember that I would count each contraction and the time between them all while swaying back and forth. I remember watching the contraction lines on the monitor thinking that would help as well...then they asked me if I needed something to take the edge off. I agreed and that is when all time frame sequence went! Finally after hours of standing and swaying in circles Daniel convinced me to get an epidural. I agreed but was very nervous. The anesthesiologist was fantastic and could not have listened to my fears or talked me through the process in a better way. My doctor had been coming in and out to check on me and apparently she agreed I should get the epidural. After another hour my doctor came back in...almost 15 hours after beginning labor her words were powerful and we all decided a C-section was necessary. I wasn't in real danger neither was baby (we thought) but this was the next step as things were not progressing as they should. I just remember thinking something along the lines of whatever I am ready to be done with this pain. I was exhausted. Daniel started crying so I did as well. I also had a confidence and not much fear about a C-section although my doctor and I had not ever really discussed one. Previously a friend had mentioned to me that I should be prepared "because you just never know what is going to happen." My parents were amazing to calm us and help Daniel get ready while the doctors talked. Before I knew it I was being wheeled off.
Fast forwarding to what seemed like the the longest ride to the operating room. I was freaking out only wanting Daniel. Thank goodness the nurses were so sweet as well, as the anesthesiologist. I talked nonstop and made them talk to me as....I told them I was about to freak out in not so many words. I asked them if they like to snowboard, where they went to college, told them about more of our travels, and may have possibly even taught them how to call the hogs. I told my doctor to be careful, Daniel came in, and it all began. A few seconds later at 3:54pm we heard a sweet cry and everyone was cheering and saying happy birthday! I asked if he had all his fingers and toes and my doctor assured me he did. :) (Loved Dr. M..if you can't tell!) The next thing I know...Daniel was holding the sweetest little boy I had ever seen. I immediately started getting a headache so they gave me some medicine. (Love those doctors!)

Wyatt G.P. Basham arrived at 3:54pm on 7-21-11 weighing 7lb 2oz , 19 in
I was off to recovery while Daniel went with the doctors and Wyatt to do all the measurements, footprints, etc. The nurse brought Wyatt to me and I loved just looking at him! Daniel came back in recovery then my parents arrived shortly after. I was so happy to have them with us and for Daniel to be able to capture the pictures of their faces meeting Wyatt.
I was moved to my room in the mother baby unit and honestly had no idea what time it was. I was just very excited to have Wyatt here and my family with me. I knew everyone was exhausted however, for some reason (I guess I was running on adrenaline) because I could not sleep. Wyatt was awake some throughout the night wanting to eat and as I have said a thousand times..I never expected feeding to be so challenging. I was so lucky to have amazing nurses in both labor and delivery as well as, in the mother baby unit. They were so kind, helpful, and patient. Allison in L and D and Jody in Mother baby were so supportive when I wasn't sure of my baby care abilities. :) It was amazing to my entire family how much they welcomed us. I think that our life is so different from they were intrigued...Daniel worked PT in this hospital, the fact that we were from out of state, and that my parents flew in from Arkansas, we talked about our four legged babies, etc! The next few days were filled with phone calls, texts, surprise flowers, and lots of loving on the new little boy. We are so thankful for all of our family and friends who checked on us while we were miles and miles away celebrating the arrival of our bundle.

My parents and Daniel did an amazing job taking care of me in the hospital. I had a hard time at first realizing that I had to take care of myself and that I had just had surgery. I knew at first I could not get up..however I didn't want this to slow me down. They had to make me rest and to accomplish this even my mom stayed at the hospital one night so Daniel could get some sleep, :) The next four days seemed to fly. We had pictures, videos to watch, forms and more forms. Wyatt had several tests including hearing and passed all of them. The doctors concluded we had a healthy happy baby boy, we just had to get feeding down. I also have to add...he was and still is a very content baby only fussing when hungry or tired. We. Are. Truly. Blessed!

First Family PictureThe last night the nurses came in and asked if they could keep Wyatt for a while. They said they really wanted to get some good snuggle time in and that he was adorable! It warmed my heart! The last day my mom and dad went to the farmer's market before coming to the hospital and brought us some special treats: blackberries, cherries, organic bread, and vegan chocolate chip cookies..yum! I am sure everyone was tired of the hospital after 4 days. I know I was ready to get home and see the puppies!! I could not believe they were going to let me take this sweet tiny baby home! ;)

He looked so tiny in his car seat and his coming home outfit was enormous! (I completely rethought the outfit I had planned because after pictures I concluded he was swimming in it!) The nurses, pediatricians, lactation consultants, etc. could not believe we were about to drive across the country with a newborn. They were excited and made us promise to keep them updated after we arrived. (I think they thought we were crazy!) The last day so many people came by to give best wishes and to have a safe trip. I was amazed that how many people knew about us, who we were, and that we were taking our new baby on a long road trip! I chose to walk out because if I could walk in..then why not walk out! HA! We left the hospital full of joy and excitement for what was to come. Up next - last few days in Oregon and the adventure to Arkansas!

Happy Anniversary!

2011-11-03T09:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversary to the love of my life! It seems like it was just yesterday when we walked down the isle.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 that weekend.
Daniel, I love you more today than the day I married you! I love the way you make me laugh, the way you always try and convince me (no you do not need more hunting stuff or a new truck and yes we can go look at new 5th wheels again), the way you love our family and friends, and the way you love our little family! Four years means we are quickly approaching four years of traveling. Crazy!
We had only talked about traveling and I would have never dreamed some of the things we have experienced. I love that you wanted to travel full time and the fact that you convinced me we needed a truck and a 5th wheel to live in with 2 labs. Neither one of us would have thought we would spend a winter in the tundra, a summer in the desert, the rainy season up north, live in towns so small we thought we might not make it out, mountain bike all over the country, camp in the heat of the summer and the dead of winter, live on the lake and the slopes, drive across the country, have a baby, and move more in 3 months than we ever imagined!!! (All while dealing with constant frustration from the 5th wheel..but we won't talk about that!) Its the little things in life! HA!
I adore watching you interact with Wyatt and seeing how much you absolutely love that little boy. We were determined to not let life really change or slow down with the arrival of the little one. So far we have stuck to our promise and I can't wait to see what this year holds. I love you Daniel and can't wait for many many more years of love and fun!!

June to July 20th...

2011-09-28T15:58:00.000-05:00

Can I start by saying...where did June go? Is it really almost October! I can't believe I celebrated my 32nd birthday this year! I feel like I was just excited to be in the double digits, then a teenager, 16, 18 turning 21..Where did all this time go! Don't get me wrong, I have great memories, it just seems like it was yesterday! HA!

All of this was written in July:
This birthday sorta slipped up on me. I guess I mean we have been more focused on July: baby is due, my parents were coming, the rain will stop, and this rotation would be up. So seriously can we slow down time a little. I am so excited for this little bundle to arrive but completely kinda freaked out at what all that means. Everyone tells me that these feelings are completely normal and I know I am going to have a ton of questions and time (as much as sometimes we wish) can't be slowed down or speed up! HA! So with that I have to officially say I think we are ready for him! Of course we still have a few last minute things like ordering the diaper bag (but really we can make it without that super cute bag for few weeks) and all those other random things you need.

We celebrated father's day with a baseball cake from the doggies and the baby had a special gift for daddy. A baseball of the stadiums of America. He loved it! I was so excited to meet up with KyLee a few weeks ago in Portland. She and I became friends when we lived in Austin and have run 2 half marathons together. She is leaving in a few days for training for the Army reserves. I am so proud of her! KyLee it was great to see you and be safe on your month training.

Daniel again made my birthday special. We had plans to go to dinner but our neighbor is a sweet old man that lives by himself and we were having a good time visiting with him that evening. By the time we came inside it was late so we ordered pizza and I got to have mushrooms which almost made my happier than anything! HA! He also got me a cake from the doggies, a small bag of M &M's from the baby (the baby had been saving his money for 9 months), and a tripod for the camera! I have wanted one since Christmas when I got DSLR! I am so glad he took care of this because honestly I had been looking and looking and the amount of choices on Amazon made my mind go crazy. Daniel went to a camera store and they steered him in the direction on exactly what I needed! I love it! We did go out to dinner later in the week and it was just as special as if it was on my birthday! Thank you Daniel for making my birthday so special! It was perfectly perfect!

Two weeks ago we headed about 30 min south to a Dock Dogs Event at the Gun Dog Expo in Albany. Hershey did fantastic taking two 1st place wins in the Junior Division on Saturday. We went back for another round and Sunday she won 2nd place! We are so proud of her as she had not jumped competitively in almost a year due to location of events. Chance was a good cheerleader as always! We all know cheering always makes you fly further!!

4th of July weekend we headed to Portland for Blues on the Waterfront. We had a blast and got to hear Buddy Guy! I couldn’t believe the crowd for the festival! We spent the entire day and it wore me out but it was all worth it.

Backing up a bit it seemed like the month was flying. I started packing for our upcoming travel to Arkansas. My mom arrived on the 13^th and we finished getting everything ready for baby, packed up the last of what we could in advance, and enjoyed a little shopping. My mom went to the doctor with me on Thursday. The doctor told me what I had feared in that I would probably be coming back next week for another appointment. My original due date by our first doctor was on the 15^th and Daniel and I really wanted the baby arrive before my dad did. Well baby apparently wasn’t ready. He had his own agenda. My dad arrived on the 18^th. My parents came at the right time of the year as the rain had essentially stopped and the cherries were in season. (Although they were late this year I believe it is because they were waiting on my parents). I had another appointment on the 20^th and again the doctor said she might see me next week and if so she would schedule an induction. The hospital had apparently just changed their policy and the doctor is not allowed to induce someone until they are 41 weeks. Well apparently the baby heard her and it might have been combined with a slight procedure she did that day! Honestly we will never know! My mom and I headed to run a few more errands and went up to the outlet mall. We walked and walked and walked. We had been for the past week but we stepped it up. I was so concerned that our travel plans were going to be altered as we were to leave town on Monday morning. Daniel called his recruiter to tell her the details and she put his next rotation on notice. They were very accommodating to the babys arrival. Whew! That evening we had dinner, watched a little Modern Family, Daniel had just gone to bed, and I had just looked at the clock and thought well baby I guess you aren’t coming tonight. Low and behold around 11:30 I thought I have either wet myself or my water just broke. It was the later when I realized I couldn’t stop it! Looking back Hershey was acting very weird after we got home from the hospital. She got sick at my feet, kept sniffing the air and would not leave my side. I kept trying to get her to lay down. Obviously she knew what was going on! You would have thought all four of us had lost our minds. Daniel and I weren’t so sure we should go to the hospital. My dad insisted. We called the on call doctor and told her what was going on. She said we should head that way when we could but no need to rush. Again my dad was “in charge.” Of course we stopped for a picture before we left.

When we arrived at the hospital I was afraid of having Daniel just drop me and my mom off at the front door. I convinced him to let me walk into the hospital with him. He really didn’t want to do this but decided it was ok.

We started checking in but not before posing for a few pictures in front of the entrance. Daniel suddenly remembered we had preregistered but they asked me to bring my id back at some point. Did I? NO! Then I thought oh no they are going to let me check in. They did! The nurses were amazed when I told them I was actually due today! It was after midnight and the 21st so I was telling the truth! They got so excited because apparently that rarely happens! We went through all the paper work and all the sudden I was in a wheel chair for what seems like an eternity being wheel over to the Birthing Center. I remember thinking "Are they going to keep me or send me home? This doesn't even hurt..I bet they will send me home! This can't be for real!"

Stay tuned!

Not forgotten...

2011-08-23T14:37:00.002-05:00

Was it my birthday, packing to move, my parents arrival, having a baby, more packing, traveling from Oregon, adjusting to the baby, or setting up in AR that made me get behind? No really what was it! HA! I am working on one big catch up post and hopefully I will have it up later this week.

We hope everyone is great!!!

Just consider us your personal tour guides..

2011-06-19T12:27:00.003-05:00

...to a coveted destination? Well possibly, if you consider Oregon one of the places you must visit! ;)

Continued from the last post mainly in pictures. We have been some busy travelers. A recap of our first few months.... We visited Whoodoo Hoo resort, Silver Falls, the Capitol, Lincoln City beach, Driftwood Covered Bridge, Meadows resort, Mt Bachelor, Meadows resort, Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, have taken several trips to Portland - outdoor show, rv show, a trip to AR, San Francisco, and Mt St. Helens.

As always, winter brings snowboarding season which is a HUGE, very important, must happen every weekend, kind of deal in our "house". We both love it! I decided I would snowboard this year as long as I felt up to it. I have to admit the first time we went the conditions were not the best..so I only boarded once. I didn't think I would be nervous however, I was. I was in the midst of a migraine cycle and I just didn't feel comfortable. NOT in my ability, (oh no) the ability of others! ;) You really just have no idea when someone is going to come at you out of control. You have to be on constant guard to move out of the way or those silly kids (adults) will slam into you. It was a good thing I was cautious b/c I was greeted by a fantastic migraine while at the resort.

So yes, I snowboarded 6 months pregnant. We hiked in Silver Falls state park. We hiked the 8 mile loop and took in the breathtaking waterfalls. It was beautiful, amazing, etc!
We spent a weekend exploring downtown Salem and the capitol.We found out Nugget is a boy
We drove over to the coast and played with the dogs on the beach in Lincoln City. I knew the beaches would be rocky and gorgeous however, I was amazed at all the colors. We saw starfish, muscles, rocks, and more!
visited Driftwood Covered Bridge
We spent a Sunday at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival and it did not disappoint. The flowers were beautiful and apparently due to all the rain, it was not even up to its normal standards. We tromped around in the mud, played in the fields, looked at old farm equipment, and listened to music. As you can see..the babies enjoyed the day as well! We have been to Portland several times involving: shopping, an rv show, trips to Ikea (Daniel's fav), a visit with Rebecca while she was in town, horse races, a huge sportsman show, and to see KyLee before she left for bootcamp.I made a trip to AR for LP's wedding back in April. I really wanted Daniel to go but with the cost of a flight, it just didn't make sense to only go for a weekend. I was able to go for an extended period of time and it was so nice. Michael and Lauren, were married the first weekend in April. They are a great couple and I am so glad I was able to travel to their wedding. Lauren was a very beautiful bride, and everything about her wedding was gorgeous. I also enjoyed getting to spend time with Shannon, Cassie, and Rebecca. It had been a year since..but that is part of living on the road. Cassie was expecting as well and now has a 2 month old baby girl. It was exciting to see her with a baby bump! Congratulations!!!I knew with this trip this would be the last time I would be at my parents' house before baby arrives. I enjoyed being in my room, laying on the couch, playing with the doggies, spending time with mama looking at baby stuff, and helping my dad around the land. I kept thinking the next time I am "home" I will have a baby! My parents kept reminding me and I thought it was so cute! I remember feeling the same way before Daniel and I got married..this is the last time I will be at here as a single lady! I was so excited then and I am so excited now!!!! :)

While in town I was able to meet up with several friends. I was able to see Andrea and Marshall, Kerryanne, Alta, Jennifer, and many many family friends. I loved catching up with everyone and we miss all of you already! Its so hard when we make it to AR (even more now being in OR) as I always want to see so many. I have to make myself relax or I spend the entire time in town rushing to see everyone! Point here is it always warms my heart to get to spend time with people I hold so close and re-energizes me to come back and know that people heart us and us and our gypsy lifestyle! Living on the road and not meeting anyone is a little harder in some locations than others (ie Oregon). Not to stereotype however, some of the west coast folks are missing out on the southern charm! :) Y'all agree? I say this with with warmness in my heart..but it is true! I also got to see this little guy as well..

Shortly after my trip, it was time to decide where we wanted to head next. It just made logical sense to stay in Oregon until the baby arrives. We decided Daniel needed a vacation and San Francisco was our destination! We drove down the 101 and headed through the Redwood Forest! It was amazing and highly recommended!!! Our plan for San Francisco was to hit up all the big attractions as well as, simply relax. We experienced the Golden Gate bridge, Alcatraz, China Town, Japan Town, Fisherman's Warf and Sea Lions, Cable Cars, Painted Ladies, Lombard Street, AT&T Park, USS Pampantio, Golden Gate Park, Lands End, Coit Tower, and Napa Valley on the way back.

We were lucky enough to meet Rebecca for dinner on our last night for some yummy seafood. It was great to see you!!!

Since the arrival of the baby is getting close and our time here (might be) less than a month we made a point to visit Mt. Saint Helens and do a little hiking. The mountain is amazing and the history is very interesting. We learned a lot! We were both surprised that due to all the snow this year only 1/4 of the mountain was open for driving. Yes that is right folks..you can still ski and snowboard on the mountains around us!

I know what you really came for! We finally had nice weather and I was able to get a few shots at 34 weeks! I am glad I took advantage because it has been back to rain since then! I am now 36 weeks and hopefully the weather will cooperate again before the little guy arrives! Daniel has been super busy with work and is still on track to graduate early! He is so ready for a break! I could not be a prouder wife! He is spending his free time starting to train for a race sometime this winter as well as, practicing with Hershey. We have a big dock diving competition coming up next weekend in Albany, OR. Baby girl is ready and says she is going to win again! Go TEAM PK!!! Happy Father's Day Daniel..I know we are off to the dog park or to hike at the falls this afternoon! You are a great dog dad and I know will be a fantastic daddy! LOVES! :)

And finally a Happy Father's Day to my daddy! You are the best dad a girl could ask for..funny, serious, teacher, role model, loves the outdoors, knows life lessons are important, offers advice but always willing to just listen, and an amazing friend! I love you!! We hope everyone is doing great and staying cool! If you are looking for a cool place right now..Oregon is it! Today's high is 70 and as you have read it has a lot to offer! :) Now, I think I have updated you with current and past happenings. We plan to stay busy busy until we leave..and that doesn't even include the arrival of little guy! Let us know what is going on with you!
Hugs-
Melissa and Daniel

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T10:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to my mama! You are the best mommy a girl could as for! I can only hope that I will be as strong, patient, loving, caring, understanding, and as good of a best friend and teacher as you have been to me. I love you!!!

To my mother-in-law...thank you for raising a great son. He loves you more than you know and can't wait for you to meet our little nugget!

I also believe Mother's Day is a day to honor and cherish the women in our lives who are not only mothers, but are also our friends, family, and role models. To all the women in my life who have molded me to be the person I am today...sending appreciation and love!

Happy Mother's Day!
Love Melissa and Daniel

Travel to Oregon....

2011-04-30T11:15:00.003-05:00

First I need to say happy anniversary to J and J and to Ben and Ann!

Also a very happy birthday to my mama!

We love all of you very much and hope each one of you had a special day!!!!!

So back up to late January....

The day we were to hit the road - Saturday - I hardly slept that night and woke up at 4 am with extreme morning sickness. YEA! This set the tone for the trip although we had no idea!

We started the day at 5am final packing, organizing, and hooking up. We discovered we were missing an integral part as we were about to pull onto the road. This made us drive very slowly as I didn't have lights on my trailer. It was still dark but more importantly the fog was so dense I couldn't see Daniel right in front of me. We knew we had to drive to the next town in hopes that the Supercenter was 24 hours and carried the part we needed. Our only other option was to wait until 8 am when we assumed the "other stores" would open. Of course WM didn't carry the adapter but Auto Zone came through! Morning sickness had set in full force just about the time we were getting back on the interstate. Since I was not feeling well, to me it felt like we drove and drove and drove! We were moving along and experienced a blow out on the 5th wheel complete with extensive damage.

Poor baby girl is now missing a few teeth! We took off the tire cover so it wouldn't rip off in the wind. We stopped in the next town and bought 3 new tires as we had just purchased 1 on Friday.
We owe a big thank you to Discount Tire Company in Amarillo, TX, for helping us get back onto the road quickly! So here we go 4 new tires..nothing else can go wrong! I was to the point now of a full blown migraine and hopes of nothing else going wrong. Daniel and I both strive for the impossible! I panicked as Daniel pulled over again to the side of the interstate. We were about an hour from being to Albuquerque where we were going to spend the night. Then he said the words I hated to hear..."I heard a pop and a truck won't move." At that point I was loosing my cool! Side note to add a little detail, just before Christmas he spoke those same words and it was pricey!!! We were able to make it to a truck stop (which was closed), get off the interstate, and call a tow truck. Almost two hours later they arrived to haul the truck and 5th wheel to a Ford dealership. Neither Daniel or I had confidence in the ability of the tow truck company as drivers and dispatch called us several times to ask about the weight and length of our rig and their concerns. I get that its a big load and luckily Daniel knows about this sort of stuff..because otherwise we would still be answering questions! Daniel and I headed toward hotel only to get on the interstate and sit in traffic for two hours! We were both exhausted and went straight to bed.

The next day we were at a loss on what to do. We knew the truck would not be fixed that day as it was a Sunday. We decided to spend the day resting and planned on getting back on the road Monday evening or Tuesday morning. Luckily some sort of tube blew off, the fix was fathomable, and not going to break the bank but we still were not happy. We again owe a huge thank you to the Ford dealership in Rio Rancho, NM. They put us at the beginning of the line, discounted the labor, secured our truck and 5th wheel for 2 days and nights, and made sure we were back on the road as fast as possible. It warms my heart and shows the good when people really want to help us we become helpless on the road.
We got back on the road Monday afternoon and headed towards Durango, Co. We arrived in town at sun down and had dinner at a great Irish pub. Before leaving town the next day we went back to old town and walked around to do some quick sightseeing. We were back on the road around noon on Tuesday with our sights set on Salt Lake City, UT. The day was adventure free with no real excitement but continued driving through the mountains.
Wednesday we drove to Boise, ID, crossed the 45th Parallel twice, and Thursday we arrived in Salem, OR. We were both completely exhausted from the first day of adventure of our trip and never truly recovered the entire trip. This trip confirmed our ritual of staying in hotels when we travel to a new location as at the end of the day the last thing we want to do is set up our "home."
Friday we set out in search of a park a task that is always interesting. We find places on line and then set out to give them the real inspection upon arrival. We found a nice park with lots of grass and concrete pads. I mean who could ask for more..right?!?! HA! We have realized we have high expectations and do not like to settle for anything less! We typically face some sort of pressure, questioning, and receive an in-dept talk about quiet hours, no partying, and an explanation of rules when we arrive at a new park. We know that this is because of our age..but seriously we aren't going to bother Grannie and do not listen to loud music at midnight! HA! Most parks think that if you are our age you must be party people 24-7 and are going to cause a ruckus! We finally found a place to live and are continuing to deal with nonsense due to our age. After talking to a few other younger couples they have experienced the same sort of stuff. Regardless of the park, I know some of the older people spend their days looking out the windows and "figuring" out your life! We have seen the drama, heard about it, and do not want to experience it!!!

On another note...Daniel is really enjoying this rotation and everyone he works with. We found an amazing doctor and I adore her! The migraines are still so so but baby Nugget is doing great! He is healthy, growing, moving all over, and I can't believe I am 29 weeks! We are starting to get into preparation phase. YEA!!! As I mentioned previously, we resigned for another 3 months. If all goes as planned little Nugget will be born here and then we are off to another location. Don't get me wrong it is gorgeous..but March was the fifth wettest month in history and April has been the second wettest. It has rained every day and so far we are about 11 degrees below normal on temperature. I know May is only a few days away but it was 39 this morning! No matter what Oregon will always be a special part of our lives..In the first few weeks here:
I snowboarded 6 months pregnant we hiked in Silver Falls
explored downtown and the capitolwe found out Nugget is a boy
we played on the beach in Lincoln City,
visited a covered bridge
and much more!
Many more memories to come.... snowboarding, Portland, a trip for a wedding, and vacation in San Francisco. Of course I will post a few pictures of our 4 legged babies for those of you that enjoy them!

We hope everything is great with each of you and I PROMISE to be better about blogging. I have made a commitment to myself and since I am feeling better it should be easier! When Nugget arrives I know the grandparents, aunts, uncles, family, and friends will be brutal on me! ;) I have been informed we will Skype and I must blog often!!

Hugs
Melissa and Daniel

Mirror Mirror On The Wall..

2011-04-15T12:13:00.005-05:00

I asked: "Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Why did I let the blog go for this long?"

It replied : "I have no idea!"

Daniel in the background: "Well I have been asking you every day..."

Thanks guys! Update on the move and the first three months in Oregon coming soon. Just in case the anticipation is getting you, we just resigned for another rotation in "The Wet Foot State!"

Its a....

2011-02-24T22:19:00.005-06:00

We had the BIG ultrasound today and found out we are having a BOY! I told Daniel on our way to the hospital I have been getting more excited over the past few days. I thought I might bust if we had to wait any longer!

Everything looks great and he is an active one!! During the ultrasound, the tech kept trying to get him to flip over and he would just arch his back up as if he was throwing a big fit. She also noticed he kept opening his mouth like he was yelling for her to stop. Throughout the ultrasound he was making a fist shaking motion then would shove his hand in his mouth! She said "Oh it looks like this one will have an attitude!" Uh oh! The tech also said multiple times he is a pretty baby. Every time she would take a measurement or picture she would say "Wow this baby has a pretty profile, pretty heart, lips, kidneys, brain, feet, head etc. Pretty baby." Needless to say it was a fun experience.

We also got a good laugh because apparently he was being a boy. You know hands in that area as well as , scratching his bottom. Folks, I think we have a feisty one on our hands!

Everyone has been so excited and we are again overwhelmed by all the thoughtful messages. All we can say is thank you! We are just so happy to be having a healthy baby! Apparently most people thought we were having a boy. All today I have been thinking if he is anything like Daniel..goodness! He is the master of injuries!

Lots of love and hugs to each of you!!!

The holidays just a few days belated..

2011-02-23T14:01:00.002-06:00

I feel the need to post about the holidays, traveling, and our last weeks in Wichita Falls. Then I can move onto the epic trip to Oregon that almost did us in and first weeks in "the valley."

Daniel and I have decided that we can't do anything easily. A trip to visit family for the holidays would not be complete without having to pack up the 5th wheel and take it into a dealership for some "work." We always seem to have work/ repairs done at the most convenient time! Each time we go through the process of hearing "Well we may not be able to get parts over the holidays, the factory has shut down. The turn around time is usually 2-3 weeks but with the holidays we just don't know. How about you pay upfront for the part and we will reimburse you." We have learned over the past 3 years, because we are young, we will hear this nonsense again and again and we know the game. So with our "education" to tell the dealership exactly what we want as well as, a time frame and through many phone calls it always seems to work out. This holiday season we were getting a new refrigerator installed only to discover that our bedroom slide has mechanical issues. No these two don't go together but we always uncover a new little issue! Two days before we were due to leave Daniel calls me to say the truck won't "go" and he is on the side of the interstate! YEA! A few thousand dollars later we were able to pack up, drop off the 5th wheel, and head out for an undetermined amount of time for the holidays. We were not sure how long we would be gone as D's company "messed up" on his holiday vacation.

We got to my grandmother's house in Dallas late on Christmas eve eve. We were both so glad to do laundry, spread out, wrap presents, finish up Christmas shopping, and not deal with anything related to the 5th wheel. Christmas as usual was great! I must have been a good girl again this year because my family made me the proud owner of the long lusted SLR camera complete with extra lenses! WOW! Thank you everyone and as expected paparazzi sprung right into action! ;) We had an amazing time visiting with family, loving on Connor, and relaxing. Thank you all so much for the wonderful presents!Daniel and I headed to Austin on Christmas night to prepare for a celebration with his family. We had another great Christmas celebration and were able to get in quality time with the entire family. We met the newest addition to the family..little Jacob. I think everyone enjoyed watching me squirm holding a 2 week old. All the kids are at such a fun age and we enjoy watching them have so much fun!! Thank you for the wonderful Christmas presents! We appreciate all of you so much!

Frock FamilyBoles Family

Another highlight of Austin was meeting several friends for dinner at Chuy's. All I can say it was was yummy! We had a large group with all the couples and kids. We met baby Leo and Aaron assured Daniel and I its easy having a newborn at home! ;) Kropp, Tool, and Shellenberger families we enjoyed catching up with each of you! I hope we can make it back again soon!! (I am sad I didn't bust my camera out.)

We headed back to Wichita Falls on Monday to pick up the 5th wheel and prepare for D to go back to work. The last few weeks in the area were busy preparing for travel, trying to not get sick, and saying good bye.
New Years Eve was very low key.We went to dinner and were back home in time to watch the ball drop. We celebrated with frozen yogurt..I know... wild!

We met up with Jay and his wife for a night of hockey. We had so much fun with them! Thank you guys for a fun evening!!!We also made a quick trip out the lake to close up the cabin for the winter. It was so cold...we were only there for a few hours. I wanted to so much to feel the heat of the summer and jump in the water. No such luck!
The weekend before we left to drive north we headed over to my grandmothers. She was so nice to ask us if we wanted to come over, do laundry, see friends, and run errands, before we hit the road for the long trip. Poor Daniel between the migraines and morning sickness, he has been having to do the laundry, shopping, and attempting to feed himself. It was nice to get caught up as well as, see a few friends, do some shopping, and relax on the couch. It snowed all day on Sunday and we enjoyed spending a day on the couch! Mom and David-Thanks for having us! The babies love running around in the garage!It soon became time for the trip to Oregon. We had planned to leave early on a Saturday morning and arrive on Monday. This schedule would allow for Daniel to rest on Tuesday and start the new rotation on Wednesday. I will say in advance ..it didn't go as planned. Stay tuned.....

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-30T13:37:00.004-06:00

I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of 2010! It only seems fitting to send Warm Wishes and Happy Holiday Greetings from our traveling home to yours!With Love-

Daniel, Melissa, Chance, and Hershey

The post you have been waiting on....

2010-12-22T18:05:00.002-06:00

Ok get ready...we have been keeping the roads warm!

In August, we made the drive over to Oklahoma, to jump Hershey in the Claremore 2010 Dog Expo. My parents came up to cheer on their grand-dog and watch her win! Hershey placed 1^st and 2^nd in the Dock Dogs Big Air Junior Division with an ultimate best jump of 14,5”. She moved up this competition from the Novice to the Junior Division based on her distance. We are proud parents! We also met Melisse and her dog Yaska (both are amazing) a Malamute, the breed that won overall at the CynoSport World Championship last year. Team Yaska went all the way to win 1st place at the Dock Dogs Nationals. I know we will be seeing more of them at dock diving events in the future. We had a great weekend, are so glad we were able to see my parents, and get another win!! A summer of dock practice at the lake paid off!

The next week we dropped off our babies with R and R and headed to the airport to begin our vacation in Cabo! Jill and Jason were there to greet us at the resort when we arrived. We had an amazing week with a lot of relaxing on the beach, by the pool, making new friends, and catching up . The guys went deep sea fishing and caught 2 huge Marlins. They had a great time and still talk about it.

The resort, friends, and the fishing trip

Jill and Jay

The resort had an amazing view however, up close the landscape was outstanding. We all rented jet skis and went over to Lovers Beach, the Arch to see the sea lions, Lands End, and to view the Pacific Ocean side.

Jet ski's, Sea Lion up close, Lands End

Daniel and I also went zip lining at Wild Canyon and had a blast! It was quite intense with a lot of hiking and was totally different than any other zip lining I had done. I would totally do it again, but this place was the real deal!
We had an amazing trip and already want to go back. Jill and Jason thank you so much for asking us to take a trip with you...we loved every second of it!!! We are so lucky to have friends like you!

After a relaxing week we headed back on Saturday to pick up our babies from R and R’s. We stayed the rest of the weekend to hang out because we had not seen them in a while.

The babies "look" so sweet...

Before we left we decided to make our vacation a combo Anniversary and Daniel's birthday trip..but I couldn't let his birthday go by without a little celebration. A few days after we got home it was time to celebrate. Dinner was low key with chicken and dumpling followed by a fabulous cheesecake. It was the perfect end to an amazing trip! Happy Birthday D I love you!

We made another trip out the lake for one last fun weekend however,it was so cold and rainy we didn't even get in the water! So, we enjoyed it by visiting with the neighbors, catching up on some reading, and watching movies.

The next weekend packed up for Dallas to dog sit for R and R. We were also able to see my parents, Ben, Ann, and Connor as well as my grandparents. It was a busy visit but we had a blast!

Daniel and I were finally able to make it to the Texas Sate Fair! We have been talking about going for 5 years and have been out of state the last few. I do have to say its much bigger than any other state fair I have attended. We had a great time, but were exhausted within a few short hours. We went on a Baylor game weekend and it was packed! I still don't know how all the parents with little kids do it and last all day. I think that might be too much for me! HA! I am so glad we went and we want to try and make it back next year..just not on a game weekend!

Big Tex, Ferris Wheel, and the strip

Early October we headed to Austin for Aaron and Gretchen’s baby shower. Both of us were excited to be close enough that we were able to drive down for the weekend. We were pleasantly surprised as we got to see many friends that went to school with Daniel and most we had not seen since we started traveling. We used to see them all time when we lived in Austin. We are so happy for Gretchen and Aaron. They had little Leo a few weeks ago and from what Aaron tells Daniel having a newborn in the house is easy! While in town, were also able to see Daniel's family as well as Ben, Ann, and Connor. Daniel's mom had everyone over for a barbecue and we got in some good family time. Michelle also had little Jacob a few weeks ago and from the pictures he is a cutie! We stopped by Ben and Ann's house to hug on Connor and make a video for my parents. We enjoyed our trip and are happy we decided to head to Austin for the weekend.

The next weekend we headed back to Dallas for a memorial service for my grandfather. He had been sick for a while and as sad as loosing a family member is, we all know he had a good full life. The memorial service was very nice, my mother did a great job giving the eulogy, as well as my brother saying words. The house was packed for a reception at my grandmothers and that is exactly what she needed. We all know she has a great group of friends to surround her with love and support.

My dad and KoKo got some fun play time outside with Connor. Daniel also has a new buddy, Connor was helping him write a paper for school.

November 3 was our 3rd Anniversary (you know when I was supposed to blog HA!) Well this year was leather and apparently..two great minds think alike! ;) I again ordered the cake topper and as every year something happens. This year they made our chocolate chocolate cake, vanilla. The lady came out and said "How does this look, dear?" My response laughing" Um..well I think its supposed to be chocolate." She nearly died and ran into the back and 15 minutes later came out with the perfect topper! I thought it was funny and came home to get ready for dinner. So long story short blah, blah, blah, we come home from dinner and the precious babies had eaten the entire thing!!!!!!!!!! They were so excited to see us! I bet all jacked up on sugar..silly dogs! We could not believe they did not make a mess and we almost did not notice the cake box on the floor. Needless to say we were not happy! We still love them but geesh! Happy Anniversary Daniel here is to 57 more.. we'll be a young 88 and 94 ;)Lets see what else...I flew to AR to visit with the family before Thanksgiving. While in town I was able to attend little Jaxton's first birthday party and visit with several dear friends. Andrea did amazing job on the decorations, food, everything! Thank you guys for inviting me! Jaxton and Ashlynn are so cute and enjoyed visiting with everyone at the party!

Trips to AR are always packed and there are so many people we want to see. I was able to get together with Andrea, Shannon, Jennifer as well as, many family friends. Love you ladies and hope we can make it back soon so we can do it again!

Ben and Ann came in early in the week while the rest of the family arrived on Wednesday. Poor Daniel worked, drove in, and then had school work to do that night. We had a great Thanksgiving with both my dad and mom's family. This was the first year to have both sides together and we enjoyed getting to see everyone at once.

While in town, we helped my parents put up a few Christmas decorations as ours are in storage.(Daniel was just certain we would be back to Austin before the holidays..silly D) My dad and Daniel also made a trip to the preserve to quail hunt. They had a great time and I am glad they were able to go before we left town. This year Christmas shopping has been a task as I started out on behind the 8 ball. I have been frantically trying to get all the shopping done and at this moment I am 99.9% finished. That makes me happy! The Christmas cards are coming as well...I am waiting for them to arrive so I can send them out. Wowza someone needs to get on the ball! HA!

We also recently nailed down our next rotation. We are traveling to Oregon! From what I can tell the town is in a valley so it doesn't get super cold or super hot! We shall see! One big plus..lots of snowboarding resorts within an hour drive! ;) Daniel starts his rotation on January 19 so we will be heading out early on the 15th. Its a 3 day drive and obviously we have no room for issues...Please keep your fingers crossed!

Finally I guess I need to add the reason I have been neglecting the blog, shopping, etc. I have been a little "under the weather." Right around Thanksgiving my migraines came back full force and have been present almost every other day. Guess what?!? We are having little nugget in July! Yesterday (12-21-10) we had our first doctors appointment, everything is going great, and baby is growing on track. I will say I was not prepared for the migraine increase nor the actual unknown by doctors as far as migraines go with expectant mothers. I am actually further along than we previously thought and currently almost 11 weeks! So as my mom said today "Wow you are almost a third of the way done!" I responded "Wow, um... well yea I guess I am!" I don't know what I expected yesterday, but I really wasn't expecting to see a little baby on the screen or hear a heartbeat. So yes we are adding a little nugget to our full-time lifestyle of traveling on the road craziness! I think we are going to have many many stories of raising a baby on the road but its an adventure we are ready to tackle. We could not be more excited to share this news! I also have to add, I was overwhelmed with joy by all the comments and nice words we have heard from everyone! Thank you so much!!
I hope this post finds all of our friends and family in good health, good spirits, and living life to the fullest. Please leave a comment to let us know how you are doing. We miss talking to everyone!!!

We hope each of you has a safe and Merry Christmas!
Many Many Hugs!!!

Daniel and Melissa

Happy Anniversary!!!

2010-11-03T15:14:00.005-05:00

Wow!!! Time flies when you're having fun! I can't believe its been three years since that warm November day in the vineyard! (Specifically since it has been windy and cold here today!) 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 that weekend.

Daniel, I love you more today than the day I married you! You are such a great loving person. I can't believe how much our lives have changed in three years. We had only talked about traveling and I would have never dreamed some of the things we have experienced. I love that you wanted to travel full time, the fact that you convinced me we needed a truck and a 5th wheel to live in with 2 labs. Neither one of us would have thought we would spend a winter in Iowa, a summer in El Paso, live in towns so small we thought we might not make it out, mountain bike all over the country, camp in the heat of the summer and the dead of winter, live on the lake and the slopes all in one year!!! Its the little things in life! HA! I love you Daniel!

AND.......I feel like I should be in a group. ”Hello My name is Melissa and I have been having so much fun I have let the blog slack.” I know, I know...it's been forever since I have written to my infamous fans and updated you on our musings. We have been busy! I am working this rotation teaching Gyrotonics and Medical Pilates, Daniel is nonstop with work and school, we have taken a fabulous vacation, and of course non-stop weekend traveling.

I feel pressure (of course not from the "fans" :) to write about things we have done, places we have visited, and the funny events in our life to keep a record of our crazy newlywed traveling years! This past month and a half really didn’t seem that interesting...until I made the list and defiantly realized I should get back to my weekly goal of updating the blog. I will try and do a better job of this....my fans are waiting. Oh, YOU know you are a fan!!!! My goal is to have to post up this weekend!

Many Many Hugs!!!

Melissa and Daniel

Texas Ranch Round Up..Yee Haw!

2010-08-23T18:00:00.006-05:00

No your eyes aren't a foolin' you its two posts in one day!!
Picture the typical Texas stereotype and we dove full force into the Texas Ranch Roundup!We made a day of it and had so much fun! We started out at the cutting horse auction, made our way through the vendors, and ended with a night of rodeo! Its some serious business and we enjoyed it! All I can say is Yee-Haw! Enjoy!

A little history - The Original Texas Ranch Roundup began in 1981 and is held annually every August. To be eligible, a ranch must be selected by the Roundup Committee with consideration given to working ranch status, length of ownership or management and historical significance. What makes the Texas Ranch Roundup unique is that it incorporates the entire ranch family with a cookin' contest as well as a festival including photography, painting & drawing, furniture, crafts and western handiwork. Winners of these events earn points that, combined with their points in the rodeo, make up the Ranch Roundup winner.

The 2010 Contestants: R.A. Brown Ranch, Circle Bar Ranch, JA Ranch, Johnson Ranches, Pitchfork Land & Cattle Co., Rocker b Ranch, Spade Ranches, Swenson Land & Cattle Co., Tongue River Ranches & W.T. Waggoner Estate

The Events: Wild Cow Milking, Calf Doctoring, Ranch Bronc Riding, Team Branding, Team Penning & Top Hand-Top Horse

Little kids goat doctoring

Team Penning

Ranch Bronc Riding

And Finally...Wild Cow Milking

Little C turns 1, Family Time, and a Wedding!

2010-08-23T17:30:00.011-05:00

Half of this post has been ready since mid July..oops! I know, I know but our electrical issues - read below!! The extreme makeover is almost finished. Furniture has been removed and cabinets installed. It makes me so happy! New Cabinets! Chairs moved. Now to find new pillows, throws, and roll out the new rug! I need better pictures to give you a real understanding of the 264 ft space.

Mid July we headed to Austin for Connor's first birthday party. I can't believe he is a year old! We stayed at Daniel's parents house and (as always) they spoiled us! I enjoyed Mary showing me all of her flower and vegetable gardens. She stuffed us full of fresh fruit, vegetables, and yummy cooking! We spent Saturday morning visiting and rearranging our storage unit. It was hot that day so I made the decision to just sell the removed furniture. Both pieces were in perfect condition and within 10 min on Craigslist they sold! Yippie! A friend of Daniel's family (of over 30 years) responded to the add, so we know it has another good RV residence! Small world!

On Saturday Ben and Ann had a birthday party for Connor. Several of their friends and neighbors helped celebrate!It was a lot of fun and the kids were so playing the Wii! They smoked the adults! My parents surprised Connor with a rocking horse and he loved it! After visiting, lunch, games, and presents it was time for cake madness. The cake mess was tame! Silly boy! He will learn! ;) Who doesn't like cake??

Saturday we had a barbecue at Daniel's parents before packing up and stopping off at Ben and Ann's before we hit the road. Connor was so funny playing with all his new toys! We had a great time everyone and can't wait to come back! The next weekend we headed to Fayetteville for Shannon and Jason's wedding. We had not been to NWA since November! Wowza! We packed so much into this trip. Saturday morning we were able to have breakfast with Kerryanne and Aaron at Mimi's. It was so much fun to catch up with you both. We love you guys and are so happy life works in its little ways!! After breakfast we headed over visit with Andrea, Marshall, A, and J. Oh my goodness did we have fun! I can't believe how much the kiddos have changed. I mean isn't he cute! I can't believe big sister is going to be in school this year!!!! I know, I know Andrea we need to come into town more than once a year! HA! We enjoyed so much visiting with your family(as we always do)! I wish it could have been longer and definitely more often! We love you and hope to see you again soon!

The wedding was perfect and always great to see a friend so in love. We enjoyed a fun evening catching up with everyone. It had been way too long!

The Happy Couple -Mr. and Mrs. CarrollLP, Shani, Cass, and Me

KD LadiesThese boys....The WengersThe Bashams and The Smiths

Future Mr. and Mrs. Hallmark! We are so happy for you guys!The Chagnons and newlywed Grunewalds

We closed down the reception and headed to Dickson to meet up with the bride and groom. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of them!! What was I thinking? Anyway, we had a blast and really hope to make it back again soon. Congrats Shannon and Jason we are so happy for you!

The next morning we headed up to Bella Vista to have breakfast with Cassie and Adam. I was excited to see their adorable house as well as catch up some more. It is so cute! Cassie and Adam we are so happy for you guys, thank you for the yummy brunch, and our babies enjoyed your backyard while we visited! After we headed over to Aaron and Kerryanne's place to say our final goodbyes. It was adorable as well and we loved getting to see your place! Thank you guys again!!!! Overall we had an amazing weekend seeing all our NWA friends. It is always a fast and furious trip when we come to town..so many people to see...so little time! NWA we will be back to visit again soon!

The last few weekends have been spent on the lake we are so close. Its so nice to have room to spread out, practice with Hershey, and enjoy the AC! Ha!
She is gearing up for competition!
This one is for Jill..a sunset picture at the lake!

Last week we moved parks as we were completely over the electrical issues at the old place. We dealt with the parks issues for a month and had enough. Long story we finally found a place about 20 miles outside of Wichita Falls. It is a further drive but in this case electricity is essential with the current 106 plus temperatures. I wish I could say the electrical issues were over..but they aren't. We have replaced the outside plug and now entire power cord- hey thanks old park we appreciate it! So we are still sweating but hey..ok no..no positive here! HA!

And finally Happy Anniversary to my parents! Recently they celebrated 37 years of wedded bliss!

I could not have asked for better parents! You are great teachers in the art of marriage! We love you!!!

Until next time!
loves!
M and D

Life is a highway....whew

2010-07-15T21:00:00.002-05:00

To Everyone who has been waiting... ;)

***Sorry for the tiny pictures! I only have 2% of upload room left on Blogger! I need to order the blog in book form ASAP! Click on the pictures to make them viewable!***
ell, life's like a road that you travel on
There's one day here and the next day gone
Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand
Sometimes you turn your back to the wind.."

(Thanks Cass for the neat-o treat! I thought it added a nice little touch!)

Since my last post - as usual - we have been on the go. I have also been dealing with an increased number of migraines over the past several months. Which makes a girl sad..however with a new neurologist, complete new diet (as in all I can safely eat is organic chicken and spinach), and a new plan of action the intensity and frequency has decreased! Super happy face! Anyway, we have transitioned twice with the first in north Texas (kinda near Canton/Tyler) and now onto Burkburnett (near Wichita Falls, TX) in hopes to be close to the lake for the summer. We are at the mercy of open rotations and keeping our fingers crossed. Daniel is also going to back to school (MBA here he comes) and is doing great! I am so proud! We transitioned pretty quickly without much notice and spent the last few days in Santa Fe as always cramming places and things into our schedule. We watch the pilgrimage to Santuario de Chimayo, took a trip to Taos, NM, the mountains to play in the snow one last time, toured the historic district, played with the dogs, viewed Camel Rock, hit up the casinos, and said our goodbyes.
Taos, NM and town squareWhile in Taos we hit up the Earthship World Headquarters and all things outdoors! Earthship is a community that lives completely off the grid and and they build their homes out of recyclable materials! It was really neat!
Snowy Mountains!
Camel RockDog Park We left Santa Fe to make the endless drive to TX and as always had an eventful time. Thank you thieves for breaking into the Sequoia! Luckily nothing was stolen...a dog kennel can't fit through a window! HA! It was frustrating and I just do not understand vandalism or theft. We enjoyed so much dealing with the broken glass, covering up the window, and driving 9 hrs with high winds and rain..it made my weekend! We were able to stay with some great friends while we got things in order! Thanks R and R we appreciate it more thank you even know and our babies loved playing with yours! Reb-I have to apologize as I completely forgot to wish you a happy birthday on the blog and I forgot to take a picture at dinner! Well you know I love you!!

The north TX rotation was great. It was short assignment and we packed in as much as possible. Daniel and I were able to see several friends who honored us with a "Welcome the Basham's back to TX" dinner! Jill and Jay we had such a great time seeing you and really appreciated the dinner. It was so much fun!!

We were also able to get in some time with Daniel's family and had a fun night at a Rangers Game. We enjoyed being close enough to travel to the city, yet in the country to enjoy the lake and dirt track races. While in north TX Daniel and I went with our new friends for an experience I will not forget! Dirt track races!! Not sure how to explain them besides, loud, dirty, and quite entertaining! We had quite a bit of fun people watching! I was lucky enough to catch a shirt so I am a true fan now..ha!We even made a trip over to the stockyards in Fort Worth and ended up going to Billy Bobs. We had not been in several years and had a blast with our new friends Lisa and Ralph! That area is always a fun time! Daniel and I were so excited on Memorial weekend to meet up with family at PK lake! Calvin, Casey, and Glenn and family met us for a weekend of fun in the sun! Daniel and I have really enjoyed being close to family and friends for the summer!We had a great time and even ventured over to Hells Gate on Monday before heading home. In typical fashion we left talking about the next trip to the lake!

A few weekends ago we headed to Little Rock,AR, for Wendi and Nick's wedding reception. They recently got married on the beach in beautiful Maui and we were honored to be part of celebrating their marriage. Wendi we had a great time at your reception and you looked gorgeous! We are so happy to see you so in love! We were also able to visit and catch up with the Lipsey's, Smith's, Changon's, and the Curreri's. I am always amazed at how much the kids have grown! ;)Daniel and I had a great time and hope we can see you all again soon! > While in town we were able to meet up with my high school friend Stacy and her husband Chip as well as, see my daddy who was in Hot Springs for legal continuing education. We had a lot of fun catching up Stacy and Chip. Daddy we will see you soon!
Before leaving AR on Sunday I took Daniel to see the sites. It was so hot we actually cut the day a little short, but were able to see Little Rock Central High School, Capitol, downtown, and the River Walk. Daniel and I made a trip back to the ballpark to watch the Astros take on the Rangers. The Astro's are Daniel's favorite team and we were able to get amazing seats. I adore how we both have a complete love for all things sports and outdoors! I will say however, it was so hot that weekend we both thought we were going to melt! After the game we went to a Reckless Kelly concert and had a great time together! I love you Daniel and will go to a game anytime!!!Since my last post I celebrated another year in the dirty thirty era! I am now a plus one ;) Saturday Ben, Ann, Connor, and Ann's mom came up from Austin and we met them at my grandparents house. We enjoyed catching up and playing with Connor. He is about to be on the move! We had a yummy dinner at Babe's Chicken and oh my word - love it! HA! Daniel and I enjoyed visiting and can't wait to see you again! My actual birthday was shared with father's day and was spent swmming, lunching with my peeps at Chuy's, and relaxing! Daniel made the day special with cookies from Society Bakery that spelled out Happy Birthday Sissy (my parents nickname)! It was great to see Reb, Jill and Jay and have a little time to catch up. I got some great fun stuff! I am a very lucky girl to have amazing friends and family! Blessed! Oh and don't fear - so far the plus one year of the dirty thirties its bad or painful! HA!
As I am sure you guessed we headed back to the lake for the 4th of July! Casey and Calvin joined us and we had a blast!! We enjoyed the long weekend - grilling, swimming, watching fire works, and laughing. We headed to Hells Gate to watch the fireworks and spent the rest of the time relaxing in the sun! The fireworks were amazing and were some of the best I have seen!Hershey girl also got in several hours of good practice time! We can't wait to go back! Whew this is long! Daniel and I have also transitioned another time..to Wichita Falls. We knew it would be hard to leave north TX as we made some amazing friends. Typical for us we didn't leave without having a project! We decided to do a little Extreme Makeover 5th wheel style. We took out our dinnet area (table and chairs) and had cabinets installed! It went great and I am loving the extra space! Never underestimate what you can do in 400 square feet!!! HA!
This past Friday we went to dinner with our friends from north TX and said our goodbyes. We had some amazing seafood and spent the rest of the night hanging out. Our new location was a fairly short drive in comparison to some of the transitions in the past. We got on the road and shortly after had a blow out on the 5th wheel. We knew the tires blew out like semis but I just wish someone would have warned us the extensive damage that would occur.
Oh well I guess that is part of traveling. Life goes on and we didn't get hurt!

So far Wichita Falls is great! Daniel is really enjoying this rotation at an outpatient clinic and I am working at the gym teaching classes and training soon! So far so good! We are not completely satisfied with the current park in as the power will not stay on! Something about the current not being stable in our spot...Um..yea kinda important! Our plan is to either move spots or switch parks. Daniel and I are willing to do whatever it takes to stop sweating! ;)
We are excited to be close to spend time with friends and family for the summer! Get ready for some fun - grilling, pool time, and lake fun! I promise to be a better blogger as we finally have the laptop in our possession! We have a lot coming up and should be in this location for 3 months!
Hugs to all and we miss ya!
Daniel and Melissa

So Much To Say....

2010-06-06T00:13:00.004-05:00

Just not today! The laptop is back in our possession (again) and a new post is in the works! I know its hard to wait..like Christmas morning! HA!

So much to say..
- Last few weeks in Santa Fe
- Traveling
- New Location
- And Much Much More....

Just wait a few more days. Keep on following us..its worth it! ;)
Hugs!
Daniel and Melissa

Valentines, Snowboarding like the "Flying Tomato", Snow Camping in the Grand Canyon, Spring Break Visitors, and a Wedding...

2010-04-04T23:10:00.005-05:00

So I know the teaser post was not nice..but I needed a few days (as we all know that turned into a month) to unpack, dry out, and make my way though the many many pictures from what has turned into our trips, visitors, and adventures! So picture overload get ready...click to make them bigger!

Rewind to Feb please - Valentines Day was a low key event with dinner at home a chance to relax! Daniel got me a new snowboard setup and some super cute earrings made locally. I got him a few snowboarding accessories as well as a t-shirt from his girlfriend Chelsey Handler! HA! We had a great evening and were so excited to go snowboarding again!

We headed to the mountain on Tuesday so I could try out my new board and I love it!! We had another great day together and as I said in the title....just like the Flying Tomato..hahahah NOT! When we officially decided to head to the Grand Canyon for a few days..I checked the weather and it did call for a slight chance of snow with cooler temperatures. I say this so you can understand what was to come... When we left Santa Fe the temperature was 3 degrees..that should have been our first hint. However, the Canyon is 5-6 hours from us so we both knew the weather would be different! We stopped at the Continental Divide along the way for a few photo oportunities. We arrived at the park with only an idea of what was to come and no snow in sight. As we entered into the park all this snow appeared- and not just a little 18 inches! We found the camp ground and couldn't believe how much snow was on the actual ground. We kept driving around almost expecting to find a cleared area - but alas nothing appeared before us. We were both in complete shock but decided we had no choice but to set up on top of the deep snow. The temperature was at freezing while setting up camp and again I was excited to be at the Grand Canyon. Dinner was the gourmet consistency of turkey dogs and nothing else- it was too cold to actually cook! We headed over to the Canyon to watch the sunset and it became something I can only describe as breath taking! It was gorgeous. We stayed until it got dark and then headed back to camp where I made a fire. Daniel weenied out and got in the tent early!! I realized at this moment I maybe a stronger woman than he is! HA! All he kept saying is that he was freezing. I tried to convince Daniel that growing up tent camping that body heat would keep us warm during the night and we really needed to zip our -20 degree sleeping bags together. He didn't agree and realized I was right as we both hardly slept from being so cold! We heard the next day it was into the single digits that night.

We awoke early the next morning to crows calling us to get outside and play. It started snowing shortly after we got up and cooked a quick breakfast. We decided to head to the quarter showers and it quickly became the best shower of my entire life. We made the decision that since we were in the Grand Canyon we were not going to let the weather get us down. We bundled up more than normal- packed our backpacks for hiking down into the canyon and headed out for a day of hiking. We started at the far end of the Canyon and worked our way to the plaza. We kept the dogs with us for half of the day and then headed down into the canyon just the two of us. We got a kick out of asking everyone day if the snow was supposed to stop. The Forest Rangers kept telling us the snow wasn't going to stick..hmm really because it clearly was! It snowed all day and added at least another 6 inches to the 18 on the ground! We actually had a lot of fun hiking in the snow - although it was not easy and certainly tiring. Thankfully I had packed for extreme weather camping and hiking. We used our hot hands and every bit of warm items we had on that hike. The Canyon was difficult to see on the way out so we decided to get hot chocolate and warm up. We were so cold we even participated in the night events and attended a yodeling and cowboy rope twirling demonstration. Hey..I know you are laughing..but it was warm! It was still snowing that night and had no signs of letting up so we slept in the back of the Sequoia- mainly just so Daniel would not freeze to death! ;) I knew it was going to be warmer and also talked D into zipping the sleeping bags together. He listened and we both slept better.
The next morning we woke up at sunrise to see the Canyon in a different light. It was amazing as well! I completely agree with what people say - you must see the Canyon at sunrise, during the day, and sunset. All three times have a different but amazing look, color, etc. It is even beautiful at night. We packed up our things - which was an adventure in itself as everything we took as frozen and/or covered with snow. Our wet clothes were frozen..lovely! A bird flew away my new pairing knife, drank a coke, and the dogs loved burring the balls in the snow. HA! We laughed as we packed our things. We decided to do a little more hiking and sightseeing before we left. This day the weather was absolutely clear and perfect for viewing the Canyon. We had a great trip and are making plans to try and go back before we leave this part of the country. I truly believe the Grand Canyon is a must take trip and see for anyone. FYI -they have cabins and many free planned activities as well as restaurants ranging from fine dining to buffet and guided hikes. The website is an amazing tool for anyone planning a trip although they need a better weather section! HA! We always like to do things on the adventurous side but could be a great family trip with kids as well!

We spent the next week getting ready for our Spring Break visitors. We decided one of the days Daniel was off to check out Los Alamos where we discovered the Los Alamos National Scientific Laboratory (national security focus), historic land marks, and another place to snowboard. The drive was gorgeous but made us miss trees! Its amazing how they look when you have been away from them! We also took a day and headed to famous Santaurio de Chimayo a place where thousands of people make the annual pilgrimage to this church on Good Friday. People go to give thanks to prayers answered or to ask for them to be answered. The dirt is also thought to be healing and can solve problems from financial to health. Chimayo is also home to several famous weaving families, shops, and galleries. Side note- The past few days have been amazing to see people walking for days. The park we are staying at is directly along the route from Santa Fe and anywhere in southern or central New Mexico. I heard on the news a couple walked from Las Cruces, NM around 300miles!
On an exciting note...As we are so close to Albuquerque I have had the opportunity to spend some time with my sweet friend Laura. Laura and I became friends while in Austin and she is so much fun! We have similar backgrounds, worked for the same gym, and have kept in touch over the years. We saw Laura and Anthony last September when Hershey jumped in the New Mexico state fair. After our visit Laura and Anthony learned they were expecting a bundle of joy! I was so honored when she asked me to attend her shower. She has some great friends in the Albuquerque area and they welcomed me with open arms. Laura received super cute "little man" things and she is set up! Laura you are a great person and I know are going to be an outstanding mama! I had so much fun at your shower and can't wait to get back so see you again. The little man will be here before you know it. I am sad to say I forgot my camera ;( So here is a pic from last summer!
We were were more than excited when Daniel's mother Mary, sister Melissa, husband Ryan, kids Gage and Little D came into town for spring break. We immediately started searching for things to do, places to go, and fun times to experience. We ultimately settled on snowboarding, sledding, and playing in the vast outdoor areas surrounding Santa Fe. They arrived on Sunday just in time for the big snow! They were so lucky while in town it snowed the day they arrived and we got almost 8 inches. They were so excited to see that much snow. The first day we kept things a little low key as we got them settled in and ready for the week ahead. Monday we headed up the mountain into the Santa Fe National Forest for their first ever sledding experience. I know they really enjoyed playing in the deep snow , sledding, and making snow angles. It snowed while we were on the mountain and later learned the area had about a 12ft base of snow! WOW!! After- we headed to the Santa Fe Plaza that is lined with museums, churches, and all things artistic and Santa Fe-ish (is that a word) to see. We went the Loretto Chapel known for the miraculous staircase that is suspended from the ceiling to the floor. It has no support beams and is architecturally a masterpiece. We walked around the art district admiring all the jewelry and pottery. Dinner was at the always yummy Tortilla Flats.
The next morning we started off with a breakfast made for snowboarders. HA! We headed to the mountain this time to teach Gage how to ski. He and his daddy Ryan were so excited. Every time Daniel and I have been to this particular mountain it has not been packed, well on this day, it was - it was spring break in TX. So many TX folks that I may or may not have downed the horns..Ok I did! Anyway, we had the best time teaching Gage how to ski. He did really good considering it was his first time to ever put on skis! It took a few tries for him to understand to pizza his feet and that you must angle your legs to turn not just your arms. He was so cute and wanted to keep trying again and again!
By the end of the day he was confident enough to ski down a little without anyone below to catch him. So cute!
We had a great day snowboarding as well and I got more adventurous and tried more blacks. Daniel was successful in completing the jump he had been trying the last several times. Look at the AIR!
We know Ryan had fun skiing for the first time in I believe 8 yrs. I hope Melissa, Little D, and Mary had fun watching all of us and were able to relax and play in the snow. The lodge was packed but I think we all had fun! Gage we enjoyed teaching you to ski and someday will teach you to snowboard!

St Patricks day fell during spring break so we headed to see Taos, Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, and to the Village of Eagles Nest, NM. We made a day of it. We started the day in Taos an headed to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. We walked across the bridge... 650 feet above the Rio Grande that's winding through the rough rock gorge on each side. The bridge was built in the cantilever truss style and is the second highest bridge of its construction in the country.
Next we headed to the Village of Eagles Nest known was the "Gateway to the Enchanted Circle of Northern New Mexico." Part of the town is an old western area with shops and restaurants. The other big attraction to the area is the lake. In the winter it is known for ice fishing. We walked out on the lake and talked to a few fisherman. We learned from the locals that the village is situated in a way so it stays cool all year even in the summer. That conversation lead us to finding a shop that sells wood burning stoves and furnaces from the 1800s and apparently we will own one when we settle and build a home. :) Eagles Nest is so close to 2 ski resorts...I know we will be back!
We had a great time with our Spring Breakers. We hope this becomes a tradition and get to see you guys again soon. You are welcome anytime! The afternoon our visitors left, Daniel and I headed to the Jackalope for some shopping fun. I had been asking Daniel to go with me for 2 months but it just didn't happen. We enjoyed the cool afternoon walking around, watching glass blowing, seeing the animals, and shopping surrounded by (as they say here) New Mexican made things!
We also recently took a fantastic trip to FL for Jill and Jason's wedding in Clearwater Beach. We had a blast and the weather could not be more perfect. They are great friends, are the cutest couple, and are so excited to be married! Friday was full of meeting new people and relaxing. It started by breakfast with the couple and the day perfectly relaxing by the pool and on the beach.
The beach rehearsal:
Friday night, after the rehearsal the couple hosted a get-together at a local restaurant- complete with a trombonist DJ, who was fantastic.Saturday the weather was gorgeous for a wedding and the girls spent the day relaxing in the hotel and getting ready for the events. We enjoyed a day of doing "girl stuff!" You all know what I mean, movies, mimosas, snacks, stories, laughing..lots of fun!
The wedding was on the beach and could not have more perfect! The bride looked stunning and the reception was a blast!
Jill and Jason we are so honored you asked us to be part of your special day. We enjoyed so much getting to see you both so happy and in love! You both looked amazing, we had a weekend of memories, and made some great new friends. Remember *Hope your road goes on forever and your party never ends!* We love you both and hope to see you again soon!

Sunday we got together will Sue and her husband and some of their Tampa friends for lunch and then headed to a museum to view an exhibit on Leonardo da Vinci
and the Mona Lisa. It was a great exhibit and we learned so much. We had a low key evening and relaxed from all the events of our trip. Monday we met up with Sue again and she took us all over the city- touring the port of Tampa, Landing Area, Yabor City, Harbour Island, and Davis Island. We got to see their place and it is super cute (yes it is!) as well as just spend some good quality time together. D and Sue had not seen each other since our wedding. I had the opportunity last year to go to Sue's Law School graduation but had not seen her since. Sue is one of those friends that you can just pick up with like you saw her yesterday. I love you pretty lady and am so glad we were able to see you and spend some great time together. Hopefully it will be sooner than later!
We got home late on Monday night and on Tuesday I believe the babies are happy to have us home...

Daniel has been very busy with work before our trip to Fl and after as well. We have 2-3 weeks left on this rotation and are currently in the process of either extending our contract or looking for a new rotation. Only time will tell!

Happy Easter everyone! Just this morning...a reality of how lucky we really are and how life will stop you in your tracks. While walking the dogs this morning, in the park, I saw a mother hiding rocks. After we exchanged a quick friendly hello in passing, she started talking to her kids and said the Easter bunny didn't have any money this year. I noticed she was literally hiding large rocks for her 2 young kids to find. I brought the dogs home, got in my car and stopped to talk to her again. With tears filling her eyes she told me they barely had enough fuel to get to the next job that hopefully would last for a few days, and I told her not to worry. The Easter Bunny did come bringing cookies, candy, dyed eggs, and lots of food. It was a touching moment with the parents when I handed over the Easter goodness. An Easter to remember!

We miss each and everyone of you and hope we can see you soon! Much much love and many hugs! Now its your turn..what is going on with you?
Daniel and Melissa

I have a really good reason...

2010-03-24T21:43:00.003-05:00

So since I have been asked a few times this week about a new blog post...I feel the need to explain. The hinge on our laptop broke and what was promised as a quick easy fix by the computer repair place ended up taking a month. Boo I know! I was stuck with our other computer who I lovingly refer to as "Slow Moe" and she just doesn't like to upload anything to the blog! No not even text..Andrea and Jill! Good news- today I picked up the laptop and got an apology that I accepted because they said something like "I wouldn't be able to last as long as you did!" It made me smile! Anyway, I am working on a post and have so much to catch up on. We had company for spring break: sledding, snowboarding, Eagles Nest, a sleep over, Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, and of course the Grand Canyon...so next week get ready for catch up posts. Who knows one might even come as early as tomorrow! Ok- well I won't get to over confident!

I will leave you with this...
Can you tell how excited they are for a new blog post!

Get ready for a fun post....

2010-02-26T12:36:00.005-06:00

It has a little something to do with this....

And...

I know a teaser..but you all know how I am!!!

If I have learned one thing...Its that you have to go with the flow!

2010-02-13T19:06:00.000-06:00

I can't believe Daniel is approaching his 2 year mark of traveling! Wow how time flies! It seems just like yesterday I was blogging for the first time!
Traveling over the past two years I have learned many a life lessons. Here are a few of the essentials HA!:
- Daniel is an amazing funny, loving,` and giving husband
- Family and friends (even if they are miles and miles away) are so important in
your daily life and you cherish the time you have with them so much more
- Organizing and hiding stuff is an art and takes creativity
- Pledge Multi Surface and Mr Clean Magic Erasers are essentials
- Cooking with propane and in mini size pans (Child size bake ware) is a challenge
- Stylish Muck Boots are a must! (Thanks Mama and Daddy)
- How to cook in high altitude (thanks Melody)
- You have to be a strong confident woman
- Not to sweat the small stuff or you will never be happy
- Finally you can live with 2 labs (one very hyper) in less than 400 square feet! HA!

I have also learned when you travel full time you really do have to just go with the flow! I am not going to say in the least I am a hard core planner but I do find myself trying to put events into some sort of order. I think if I didn't do this I would go a little stir crazy - read back to the top about the 2 dogs! ;) However, if traveling has taught us anything over and over again its to be flexible. Since my last post we have flooded the inside of the 5ht wheel twice! More about that later!

We spent our last full weekend in El Paso doing the things we had been meaning to do for weeks! We started off the weekend by flooding the kitchen on Friday morning it was joyous! HA! We were trying to prevent the water lines from freezing however, instead we flooded the kitchen as one of the holding tanks wasn't open. I spent most of Friday cleaning however, by the evening all that was left was the fans drying out the mess. Friday night we had dinner with Regina and Dennis M. and played cards for a great beginning to a last weekend in town. Saturday we spent the day packing and visiting with our neighbors. Sunday we finally made it back to Cattleman's Steak House at Indian Cliffs in Faben's TX, to take the hay ride that tours the movie sets. The tour takes you around several set locations: Courage Under Fire, The Boarder, Resurrection, to name a few. We also saw the lake, a zoo, exotic animals, Old West memorabilia including an antique wagon collection, a western town, and an old working stable.

Andrea and Ashlynn - Your welcome!:
We had a great time and ended the fun afternoon with another great dinner.

The day before we left on Friday night our El Paso friends hosted a dinner party in our honor. I have to be quite honest and say I never thought you could pull off something so nice in a 5th wheel. We were impressed by Regina's skills! HA! Regina and Dennis dressed up their place and went above and beyond. We had an amazing dinner with great company. Melody and Rodney, Brenda and Dale, and Regina and Dennis we had a wonderful time, good laughs, shared great stories, and a farewell dinner we will not forget. We cherish our time in El Paso and our group made some great memories! We already miss you guys and hope to see you again soon.On Saturday morning we finished packing and headed to Santa Fe. It was overall one of the easiest "moves" we have made since traveling. NICE! We settled on a park about 25 miles from Daniel's work. It seems like the best park around based on what we checked out. Most of the parks are 55/65 and up resorts and obviously we do not fit into that category but so far so good at Road Runner!
The day after we arrived we were greeted with snow. It was a nice deep snow and the first of many.

We are staying in an area known as Pueblo of Pojaque and so far it has a lot to offer everything from arts, to a beautiful area known as Camel Rock, and a few casinos. HA!
Snowboarding has been and will continue to be a part of our week. We are absolutely ecstatic that we so close the resorts! Our first trip was to Ski Santa Fe and it was a blast! We spent the day on the slopes and loved every second! We can't forget about the babies and have been spending time letting them run crazy in the snow! We are always looking for ways to wear them out and having sleeping dogs for a few hours. Remember we have limited space! With all the snow we had to spend a day sledding! We headed into the mountains and to my surprise this was Daniel's first time EVER sledding! He loved it and we have no broken bones! SUCCESS!
We also found a new place for snowboarding that has the feel of a family owned resort. Sipapu has become our new favorite place...not that we won't be trying the other places around..don't think that for a second! HA! I am continuing to become even more confident on the lift..ha (Daniel will love that!) No seriously, I really am!

Along with all the fun in the snow..we are touring the historic areas of the city, admiring all the neat authentic art, and having some great local food!
So far we really like Santa Fe. As you can tell we have spent a lot of time outdoors and touring the area. We are excited and trying to plan out trips for the next few weeks on Daniel's days off. He is enjoying the new hospital and the schedule of working four ten hour days and having more time to spend on adventures! Now if we can just keep from flooding the 5th wheel again I think things will be golden. We have been lucky both times and have caught the broken pipe and have prevented water damage! Its our luck! ;)
Happy Valentines Day weekend everyone! We hope you all spend the day with the ones you love! We miss you!

XOOXOXOXOXOXO
Daniel and Melissa

It was a busy break..but we enjoyed it!

2010-01-10T10:00:00.003-06:00

After the last blog post life got a little hectic to keep up blogging in real time! Ha! Lets see...We ventured over to Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino in New Mexico and spent the day watching the horses run. The day ended great as we came out ahead $200! Daniel had not experienced horse racing so he really enjoyed it! We both had a great time picking the horses but I can't give away our secret! Haha!

We also headed back to Ruidso, NM to hit up the slopes. This time I was much more confident and even went with Daniel on several runs. I am not going to say in the least I kept up with him..but its fun to attempt some of the same runs! Love you Daniel and you know you secretly love getting off the lift with me! ha We can't wait to go again!
We left on Christmas eve afternoon to head to Dallas to celebrate Christmas with my family on Saturday. Mother nature however, had other plans for us and around Abiliene we hit snow. Daniel's mom called to say the interstate was shut down and we might have to spend the night on the road. When she called the road was clear however, as we continued east and finally when the interstate trooper told us the road was closed we had no choice. Luckily we were close to Daniel's cousin and Aunt Martha and they lovingly opened their home to us and our doggies. It was so cold we were more than grateful to have a place to stay as all the hotels were booked! Thank you so much Aunt Martha for letting us stay with you.
We awoke on Christmas morning with the interstate still closed so we played in the snow a little! Aunt Martha got between 12 and 15 inches at her house! WOW and FUN! After taking a very long detour totaling 5 hours in a distance that should have taken us an hour and half we arrived. Needless to say were were happy to be in Dallas!
Christmas this year with Connor was fun..but next year is going to be a blast! We all had a lot of fun having a little on around this year! Ben and Ann..you guys have a little charmer on your hands!
This year we did something a little different (to help out my grandmother) and stayed at a hotel. I am only saying this because they put this on our door (because of our dogs) and it disturbed me a little We had so much fun seeing my side of the family and always love the time we have together! I can't believe the holidays are already over! It seems just like yesterday we were excited to be leaving the cold of Omaha and looking forward to 09!
On Sunday we headed down to Austin for a week of fun with family and friends. The week did not disappoint as we were on the go!
We started off the trip by celebrating Christmas with Daniel's family. Its always a lot of fun with all the kiddos and this year all of them were old enough to really dig in and rip up the paper! (I know what to expect from Connor next year!) Ha! I love watching little ones get so excited!
We had a great evening with Daniel's family and as always enjoyed getting to see and catch up with everyone! We do not make it to Austin often so when we do we are always amazed at how much the kids have grown!
On Monday we started getting together with friends in between spending time with both families. My parents came to Austin to spend some more time loving on Connor! ;) Daniel was able to meet up with a few old friends and yes they acted like boys! I know Daniel, Calvin, Shelby, my dad, and brother were a sight to see acting like fast and furious on the track! Ha! It sounds like they had a great time playing lazer tag as well!
This trip was great as we were able to see so many people - Mike and Brandon met us for lunch. We had a great time catching up you Mike and can't wait to hear all about the half Iron Man Tri this year! We are so proud of you!!
We stopped by Suzette's house and were able to visit with her family for a while. It had been almost 3 years since we had really been able to catch up. Suzette set Daniel and I up on our first date! Ok well kind of.... she asked Daniel if he would like to go to a party with me and I just happened to walk up while she was asking! We love her so much and always try to make it a point to go see her!
We were also able to visit with Cara and Orlando at Little Woodrows early in the week. I used to work with Cara at a sports medicine clinic and we always have some great stories to keep us laughing! It was great to see you Miss Karob!
We continued our meet and greets with Marie and little Fletcher. Marie and I worked together at the gym and I always love catching up with her. She is so much fun, we laugh the entire time, and I miss seeing her every day! Doesn't she have just the cutest little 2 yr old? I can't believe how Fletcher has grown!
We also met up with Rebecca and Rob. We miss them so much and enjoy getting to hang out with them anytime we have an opportunity! They are such a fun couple! We always start laughing as soon as we get together and don't stop until its time to party ways! We miss you guys and seeing you often!
New Years was low-key beginning with a late dinner at McMorick and Schmiit's with Casey and Calvin. It was super yummy and fun to have no real plans except for catching up and having fun! We got rowdy (ha) and Calvin and Casey's house for a little Rockband! We had a blast and loved that it was so low key! We had a great time with you guys and love hanging out. You are a great couple and I am glad we are cousins! Ha!
On New Years day we planned for my family to have lunch with Daniel's. Its always hard to get everyone together when we are in town. We met at Chuy's (my favorite- YUM_O) and could not have had a better time! I love the pictures! Everyone had a great time so we will have to do it again!
We enjoyed so much getting to see everyone as well as spend a lot of quality time with family!
Mary thank you so much for letting us stay with you this trip! Ben and Ann thank you guys for letting us come by anytime so we could visit. It made our trip much less stressful! We had a great time and hope to make it back again soon! We better because little Connor is going to keep growing up! On that same note..I guess we both must have been a good again this year because Santa was great to both of us! I really appreciate everything and can't wait to get my creative juices flowing. Daniel is in heaven with his gifts and has already been showing them off!

With all the traveling and getting stuck on the road I am horrible friend for just getting around to this.... Christmas day is also Happy Birthday to one of my best friends! Jill I am so lucky to have a friend like you and treasure our friendship more than you even know. Happy Birthday Jillsie and hope we can see you guys soon!! We miss you!!
And just for you....

To Everyone: Your welcome for making your day...you know you all love the song! Oh sorry that it will now be stuck in your head for the rest of the day! ;)

ALSO a Big Christmas Holiday Surprise..A BIG CONGRATS to Shannon and Jason who got engaged! We are so happy for you both and could not be more excited!!
As you can tell we had a amazing holiday season and hope you did as well! 2009 was great however just like you, we didn't enjoy the unexpected bumps during the year! We treasure all the new experiences and adventures, the wins and losses, traveling, welcoming babies, making new friends, our health and happiness, our family and friends health, and growing stronger as a couple! We are very excited to experience all this year has to offer! Here is to hoping 2010 is a great year for everyone!!!!

And Finally - Update on our next location...drum roll please..we are headed to Santa Fe, NM! We are both really excited about all the town has to offer and the snowboarding! I am personally excited about all the art in the area but not about the cold..its currently 13! We only have a week left in El Paso and can't believe it! We have loved this rotation and have met some amazing people! With all the nervousness we had about coming to El Paso (being so close to Juarez) I am so glad we did! This last week is going to be busy looking for that one thing for our home someday to remind us of this city as well as goodbye dinners..Oh the joys of living on the road! Its an experience that I can say we will never forget! The plaque in our 5th wheel says it perfectly "Wherever you go, go with all your heart!" Come visit us in Santa Fe!!!

Ta ta for now!
Daniel and Melissa

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2009-12-24T10:46:00.003-06:00

Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season! May you be blessed by time with friends and family, safe travels, and the warmth of the season!
Merry Christmas and Much Love-
Daniel and Melissa

Enough already....

2009-12-10T18:30:00.000-06:00

Get ready for my most spastic post ever! I am eventually going to turn our blog into a scrap book of our travels and my transition between events this time is very sporadic...so hang on for the ride of the past few months! So much to tell you about...Halloween, our anniversary, another win for Hershey, Thanksgiving, and snow!

Daniel asks me every day if I have made a new post for the blog. My response is always why don't you do a post..and obviously that is not going to happen! ;)

We have been so incredibly busy since the last update about our not so short stay in a hotel. In all we called it home for a month! We made the best of it and spent Halloween day at a Corn Maze in La Union, NM. It was quite different from the corn maze of Omaha but still a lot of fun to see the NM take on a pumpkin patch.
We spent Halloween night along with our neighbors with pizza and stories around the fire pit. Halloween is on another level in El Paso and to be honest and we didn't want to venture out amongst the locals. On Sunday we all headed to Cloudcroft, NM, to see the snow as well as have some fun in the mountains. The area was gorgeous, the hiking and views were amazing, and all the animals were out to greet us. We had dinner in the cutest little restaurant in the village before heading back over the mountains. What a relaxing way to spend a Sunday!
We celebrated our 2nd anniversary by having dinner at a great Italian restaurant. We stayed with the traditional anniversary gift of the second year of marriage of Cotton. We both came up with thoughtful gifts and I am very excited to use the hand knitted scarf and hat by one of Daniel's patients! ;) I love you Daniel and can't wait to see what this year holds!
As I said earlier we finally got the 5th wheel back (from the hail repairs) after a long awaited reunion! ha It was so nice to be back "home" after being in a hotel for a month! Ahh the joys of the little things in life. The same weekend we left for Scottsdale, AZ, so Hershey could compete in the 2009 Splash Dogs Cynosport World Championships. Hershey did great and won 1st place in her division with a jump in excess of 13 ft! Don't worry Chance got just as much attention as Hershey! We had so much fun watching all the dogs jump as well as all the other sporting events.
Cynosport is the Olympics of dog events and dogs from all over the world competed! It was an amazing experience and hopefully we will go back next year! Thank you Stephanie for all of the ideas on things to do in the area! We really appreciated the time you took to send us the information. Daniel and I can't wait to go back and explore more Scottsdale!
On Sunday we decided to stop by Tombstone,AZ, on the way back to El Paso. Daniel has always wanted to go and I was excited to see an old western town. The town was preserved well and we had so much fun going in and out of shops. We visited the Birdcage Theater, Graveyard, OK Corral, and Courthouse and learned some new information while touring each. We ended the day with dinner at Big Nose Kate's Saloon and it was a hoot and worth the memories! Its well worth the trip if ever in the area!

I headed to AR a few weeks ago to accompany my mother to a doctors appointment. Everything is fine its just always nice to have another set of ears at an appointment to ask questions. While in AR I got to make a quick impromptu trip to NWA to see Andrea and her new little one Jaxton. I was so excited to see her family and visit with them for a few hours. Jaxton is just as adorable as I expected. Andrea I am so glad I got to see your family and am ecstatic to see you so happy! I also promise next time to get some great family shots for you..oops! I also got an opportunity to meet Kerryanne and Shannon for dinner. We missed everyone who had plans but I completely understand! I had a great time catching up you ladies..it had been quite some time since I was in the area. I also had the time to meet with Alta while in Ozark. It was great to see you Alta and I hope someday Daniel and Ryan can meet!!! Its always so hard to fit in a visit with everyone while home so hopefully next time we can meet up if I missed you! FYI I have no idea when that will be! My dad went hunting while I was visiting so mama and I we were able to spend a little time Christmas shopping. I can't believe Christmas is coming up and I still have so much left to do! I don't feel too bad as it seems like everyone is behind this year!
I drove down to Austin with my parents to meet everyone for Thanksgiving. Daniel drove over with the puppies on the same day and surprised his mama by arriving a day early! Mary-he is getting good at that isn't he. Mama and I cooked for my parents, Daniel, Ben, and Ann, Ann's mom, and Ann's sister Tori. We had a great Thanksgiving and the food was amazing (if I do say so myself!) Mama said I cooked and she assisted!
That night Daniel and I headed over to the Shellenberg's house to watch the Texas game with the whole clan. It was great to see everyone and I am so glad we were able to meet up with you guys twice while in town! Friday we celebrated Thanksgiving with Daniel's side. We had a great time catching up with everyone as well have a surprise party for Daniels mom and Aunt Martha. Happy Birthday Mary and Martha. We hope you guys had fun on your special day. We can't wait see you all again at Christmas!
We had a great extended holiday and like always were not ready to leave. I finally got to meet my nephew Connor. He is absolutely adorable and of course makes my parents smitten! We all loved playing with him and making laugh out loud. Their really is nothing like a baby to make you smile!
We returned back to a snowy and cold El Paso! This weather has definitely made it feel like the holidays. We put up the mini Christmas tree and made a few changes this year to make it feel more like home. Last week we had 3 days of snow totaling 8 inches..who knew snow in El Paso! Last week was a busy one with Daniel's work Christmas party as well as a trip on Sunday to Ruidoso, NM to hit up the ski slopes.
We had an absolute blast snowboarding at Ski Apache! Daniel had been to this resort several times and enjoyed going on several of the harder runs. I stuck to the easy to moderate ones as I like to be in control! This time the snow was perfect and I was able to maneuver the board with confidence. I already know we are going to go several times this year!
So as you can see its been quite busy the past several weeks! During this time we also replaced my car from the hail storm loss with an early Christmas present (as I am thinking of it)! We decided we were playing with fire since we are at the mercy of job availability and can have to move at a moments notice. I love the Sequoia and all the room as we are on the go so much! Also, several of you have asked and my migraines have been ever present. I am going to start working on another plan of action to get better control of them. I am feeling good today! ;)
We are both really looking forward to Christmas and spending time with family and friends. We can't wait to see everyone! As far as an update on our next location, as of now, we are staying in El Paso until mid January. That changes almost on a daily basis and (to be quite honest) we are really hoping that works out so we are not in the same limbo as we were last January! As far as another location, Daniel is in contact with his recruiter and we have hopes of having a new contract signed before the holidays..so please keep your fingers crossed for us!

I love reading all of your blogs and just by the amount of time it has taken me to catch up over such a long period of time..I think I am going to try more frequent posts! ;) Christmas cards (ok more like holiday cards now that I look at the calendar) should be going out soon!
We miss you all! Please let us know how you are doing! PS can you believe we have almost hit Daniel's two year mark of traveling?
Love, Daniel and Melissa

Happy Anniversary!

2009-11-02T22:51:00.016-06:00

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!

2009-10-27T22:53:00.003-05:00

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

2009-10-18T10:00:00.003-05:00

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 ;)

2009-09-30T10:19:00.002-05:00

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!

2009-09-29T15:39:00.004-05:00

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!

2009-09-15T09:00:00.003-05:00

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

2009-09-03T15:00:00.012-05:00

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!

2009-08-10T19:10:00.000-05:00

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...

2009-07-13T17:12:00.000-05:00

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!

2009-07-08T11:32:00.000-05:00

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

A Wedding, The Lake, And In Limbo!

2009-06-16T22:30:00.000-05:00

Seriously right!! I know another month..its the Internets fault!haha
Just a warning..this post is spastic!

On my last blog entry we were in AR and going to Cassie (my college roommate) and Adam's wedding. Cassie looked amazing, so in love, and had a lovely wedding. We had a good time catching up with Shannon and Jason, Christie and Bryan, and Cassie's family as well. We couldn't believe how long it had been since we were all able to catch up! They are the kind of frineds that you just pick up where you left of..Love it! Congrats Cassie and Adam! We are so happy for you both! We hope we can see everyone again soon!
Thank you mama and daddy for another relaxing trip to AR! We headed to our TX "home" on Monday only to have Tuesday bring mother nature a chance to have some fun with us. A gust of wind ripped the awing off our 5th wheel. We of course incurred major damage as it literally ripped and broke the fiber glass siding and roof. Yes we were please as you can imagine.
That weekend we hit up the Mountain biking trails for a long ride. We had a great time and were successful in getting very lost. We have been back to the beautiful trails around Martin Creek Lake and enjoy every minute of it.
We have also been to the lake house three times. We absolutely love being able to make weekend trips! Its always so hard to leave on Sunday. We enjoy all the room, the lake, and the land to roam on. I love being able to let the dogs run as they please and wear them out playing fetch in the water. I can't wait to go back and spend some more time in the sun. How we love thee Possum Kingdom!
Last week we found out Daniel's current rotation will be over in 4 weeks. We are in the process of looking for another assignment! We have no idea where we will go but his recruiter is working on locations for us. We also took the 5th wheel into the dealership for awning repairs. We were shocked to hear it would take 3 weeks (big smiles)..so yes we are homeless again!

On a total side note...I will be turning the big 3-0 on Saturday. I am not quite sure how I feel about it but am excited about the future! ;) So the motto this week: Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda had it right all along - 30 really is the new 20!! Happy Birthday to me and here is to looking forward to great thirties! Kampai!!! (Cheers in Japanese) XOXOXOXO

Well I warned ya..it was all over the place...right?
XOXOXO