Spring at the Dallas Arboretum

Well here I am posting some more spring flower pics on my blog. I really wasn't going to do anymore, but our friends took us to the Dallas Arboretum in east Dallas. Holy crap it was just out of this world pretty there. They are serious garden professionals there. We had a great time, and big thanks to our friend Jerry for getting us in. Of course it is no suprise that every bride in Dallas was there trying to get there pictures taken with their entourage of moms, bridesmaids, and photographers. Apparantly all the families of means in Dallas have their weddings there (It's many thousands of dollars to rent the place.) Seriously though you couldn't ask for a more fairy-tale romantic place than there for a wedding!!

Terry, Todd, and Jerry

Red Azaleas in full bloom!

Azalea craziness once again!

Dogwoods, Azalea, and tulips, WOW!!!

It's Texas there has to be a cowboy hat somewhere!!

Of course this one is made up of petunias!!

Me n Terry

Me with azalea's.

A purple chinese wisteria in all it's glory!!

Tulips for days!!

Tulips and Azaleas, STUNNING!!

Pink Azaleas soooo pretty!

Terry Restin' under a dogwood!!

Road trip #2: Nacogdoches Texas Azalea Festival

Well it seems like March was road trip month for us. Me and Terry and our best friends in the world, Todd and Bill, all decided to go check out Nacogdoches Texas this last weekend. Since it's spring here in the south all the Azalea bushes are in full bloom. Nacodoches is famous in Texas for being THE place to see spring Azalea's (not to mention the oldest city in Texas going way back to the spanish from mexico). So 4 hours later down some green and beautiful country roads we ended up at the Azalea festival. Let me tell you spring in the south is a sight to behold. The bushes are covered top to bottom with huge breathtaking blooms. I've never seen anything so pretty. The people of the city also take great pride in planting them, and the whole place is lit up in white, pink, red, and purple bushes. It was really beautiful. We had such a fun time and lots of laughs with our friends.

Here is a close up of a beautiful pink azalea bush.

Here is a beautiful home with pink bushes and a gorgeous blooming dogwood tree

A beautiful fence of purple bushes and VERY old oak trees with pink bushes on the bases.

Me takin a break, but what a great place to take one!!

More colors and varieties at the gardens

A spectacular vista at the gardens.

Our dear friends Bill and Todd at the Azalea Garden at the university in town. Spectacular white azaleas.
Here is Terry and I sitting among one of the most beautiful red azalea bushes in town. It was absolutely amazing.

Remember the Alamo

Well Terry and I decided it was time for a nice road trip, so we packed up and headed for San Antonio over Easter. The first night we went to Kileen Texas where Terry used to live. (He was stationed at Ft. Hood army base there.) We stayed with our friend Dixie, and had a great time with here and her family and met some fun friends Terry knew when he lived there. He dragged me all over the place and it was fun to see the places he lived and the fun small towns around. Kileen was crazy as 2 full batallions were back on base from Iraq so there were cute army guys everywhere! The next morning Terry took us on a back road down to San Antonio. We saw the countryside, and some pretty places. We drove through Johnson City (nearby is the Lindon B Johnson ranch), and marble falls (on a pretty lake outside of Austin). Finally we made it to San Antonio, and hung out downtown the rest of the time. San Antonio is a fun city with a great downtown with a wonderful river walk. We had such a good time.

Here is fabulous Central Texas (near Burnett TX). It is flat and brown!!! Terry took me on a back road from Kileen TX to San Antonio TX. Itwas a great drive and really cool to go through small towns and see some local flavor.

I thought this was a cool old courthouse in the town square of Lampassas Texas (land of rednecks and big texas size pickup trucks!!). The small towns here in Texas really do have a big town square where usually there is a court house.

Me overlooking Marble Falls Texas. It's set on hills about a beautiful lake. Very nice place where rich people from Austin (just up the river) have homes.

Here is a view of the San Antonio skyline from our 30th floor room at the Marriott. Big thanks once again to Miss K who hooked us up with a killer room in San Antonio.

This is on the River Walk. They have restaurants and walkways all along the river downtown. It's lush with trees and flowers, and just really pretty.

Another Look at the River Walk. So fun to just walk around stop for a drink at a cafe and just watch people. At night the place is hoppin' with live music and drinks at all the outdoor cafe's. It was alot of fun!!

Here's Terry in the gardens inside of the Alamo walls. It was soooo green and pretty there with super old oak trees.

It's me muggin' it up at the Alamo. It's funny it's so small and just sits right in the middle of downtown.

A proper picture of the Alamo. Amazing it's still around and in good shape.

Spring has sprung in Dallas

IT'S SPRING!!!!!

I am just out enjoying our spring weather here, and having the first Margherita of the season on the patio.

Me and Terry coolin' off with Margheritas.

It already hit the mid 80's here, and it's been so beautiful. The tulips are out, and the trees are in bloom. Well I officially knew it was spring here when we went to Home Depot and Lowes and it was an absolute madhouse of people in the garden center. Nothing like a bunch of adults fighting over shopping carts, mulch, and petunias. But hey, we came out victorious with 10 bags of dirt, some zinnias, and a fabulous smelling Gardenia bush. Of course I had to get some geraniums too. Geraniums always make me smile as I remember in my youth Grandma Gibbs beating us with geraniums that we'd managed to break off playing soccer in her front yard. Good memories, and I'm sure we deseved it. Now what to plant next......

It was also nice to spend a fun evening on the porch with our dear friend Dixie, who came through town this week. She is so much fun, and keeps you laughing for hours. Nobody can tell a story like Dixie can.

Terry and Dixie.

Fixin up the house!

Well here is some pictures of some of the stuff I've been doing to the house. It's been a crazy 6 months here. Terry and I really have been living in dust, but it's all turned out great so far. Well 3 rooms done rest of the house to go!!!

Living/Dining Room Before (sooooo 1970's)

Living/Dining room after (with the new hardwood Teak floors)

The Kitchen Remodel. (This room about killed us I swear, but it was worth every cussword!!)

Kitchen Before (once again 70's fake plastic cabinets!!)
Also scary tore up kitchen with electrical wires everywhere ahhhhh!!

The new finished kitchen with cherrywood cabinets, green granite countertops, tile floors and backsplash. It turned out alot nicer than Terry and I imagined. We worked for 4 months on this room. We thought the roof was going to fall in on us once as we demolished a wall. We got shocked way too many times to count. Of course the plumbing was the usual mess and leaked. (could I just have one plumbing where something didn't leak!!!)I tell you what we got so sick of washing dishes in the bathroom sink and tub, but it's all soon forgotten once it all came together.

Mosaic medallion / backsplash Mosaic pattern on the floor

over the cooktop

I hand cut all the mosaic tiles in the kitchen. It took about a month to cut and assemble the almost 8000 individual little pieces that make up all the mosaics. I know it's a strange hobby I have. My friends here all laughed and wondered if I had anything better to do than cut tile. hmmmm....now what mosaics can I cook up for the bathrooms.......!!!

35 Holy Cow!!

I can't beleive I've now turned 35! The years just creep up on you I suppose. I can't say I feel like a 35 year old guy, except maybe when I get motivated and run on the treadmill at the gym. Then I feel every one of those years as I'm huffing and puffing while the 100 pound 20 something girl next to me is barely breaking a sweat and running twice as fast. My thirties have been an interesting time. I am feeling like I am too old now for the super trendy clothes and hairstyles, and now all of that grown up looking adult Banana Republic clothing seems more my style. I even forgot about my age the other day when a co-worker of mine asked how old I was at a group lunch. When I informed him I was turning 35 he got a look on face, scrunched up his face and said "oh my gosh you ARE old!!" Well so I guess it's official, and I am now out of the younger generation. I can't say I mind too much though. My friends that are my age and older have come up with a fun new pastime now: poking fun at how the 19 year olds look. I suppose it's silly but it does make us feel better. And actually my 30's so far have been the best years of my life, so I wonder what 40 brings....??????

I did have a great birthday however. Terry baked lovely birthday chocolate caramel brownies. We ate them outside in the 70 degree weather by the pool. It was so wierd having my birthday in sunny weather outside. February 10th was always cold and snowy in Utah, and I always had a birthday inside. Now time to start working on that tan..........

Big D

Here I am in Texas now, and here is some of my observations.

Dallas is called "Big D" by Texans. They are right when they say everything is big in Texas, and especially Dallas. It seems like if your going to do anything here you do it BIG. People like their homes big, their cars big, and trucks bigger, their hair big (well not West Jordan Utah big), and the ladies like their implants big here too. Lots of people say Dallas is the least "Texas" of the big cities in the state. Suprisingly it is a very cosmopolitan, sophisticated, and diverse city. With arts, entertainment, and nightlife that rivals any west or east coast big city. That said Dallas still has that brash, flashy, loud, and bigger than life Texas flair. Of course with 6.5 Million people living here the traffic is big and crazy too. You don't get anywhere very quickly and traffic is part of the daily fabric of life in Dallas. I've even encountered a traffic jam at 1:00am in the morning. Driving is not for the faint of heart here, and you better bring your "A" game when you get on the freeway. I have a lovely 23 mile 45 minute commute on 2 toll freeways and one interstate every morning. You would be suprised what you see in the middle of freeways here: big metal extension ladders, whole couches, exploding gas tanker trucks, and my favorite dodging tree and lawn clippings shooting from the back of a landscape truck doing 90 in front of you (especially when I was in my little covertible!!!). But I've also found big hearts, and big warm friendly people. It's funny but I understand what they say when they talk about "southern hospitality." A big smile and a loud "Howdy Y'all" always makes me feel welcome. Of course a big mess of Texas bar-b-que ribs, cornbread, and ice tea makes it even better. I think I'm gonna like this place alot!!!