The Wittes

The Latest

2011-09-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

I'm ashamed that it's been about three months since my last post. Thankfully, those of you who may check in on a semi-regular basis through this blog know me, and probably know what I've been up to anyway!

For starters, I'm just a few days shy of 30 weeks pregnant. Oh goodness. Work has been very busy lately and will be through the beginning of October. Ten weeks is not enough time to accomplish what I need to before this little bambino graces us with his presence. I had these grand plans to make my own crib bedding. I came to grips a few weeks back that this just wasn't going to happen. So, I bit the bullet and went with this design...

I did not order the floor to ceiling animal print curtains. That was a bit much for me. I decided to make my own out of the aqua color. Surely I can handle that. Last weekend I started to paint the nursery (don't worry, the man at Home Depot told me it was okay to paint. Something about low VOC...I don't know. I keep the windows open and the fan blowing. We'll be okay.). But, Cody also choose that weekend to start staining our fence. Let's just say neither project has been completed yet. Hopefully we'll finish staining this weekend and then can move on to painting.

I've also recently discovered Pinterest. I have been pinning like crazy and have tons of things on my Craft board that I'd love to get to one of these days. But seriously, if you're not already using Pinterest, start. Start now. And I'll follow you and steal all of your super crafty ideas.

We're getting settled in here in Topeka. Cody is enjoying his new school and his football team has won their first two games. That also means I am, once again, a Friday Night Widow. But make that a Thursday and Friday Night Widow as his freshman play on Thursdays and then Varsity on Fridays.

Until later. My to-do list is calling...

Time flies. Seriously, it's already been (more than) 1,001 days?

2011-05-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

When I set my 101 in 1001 I should have known better. But I'm generally a pretty optimistic person. It seemed like such a long time frame for me to be able to accomplish what I wanted. Better luck next time, I guess!

My official end date was over a month ago and I completed 48 out of my 101 items. It's shameful, really. But I will say a few of the items weren't entirely my fault. For instance...
#80 - I guess my class didn't have a 5 year reunion so that makes it kind of hard to attend. Who knew?!

There were also a few items that were written pretty vaguely (coincidence? I think not...)
#71 - Start taking my iron pills...technically I did start. I just didn't continue to take them. I'm sure I made it a couple of weeks, at least...

Things have been pretty crazy here in the past three years. We've moved three times, I've had three different jobs (that sounds bad. I wasn't fired from any, I promise.), we bought a dog, found out we're having a baby and so much more.

Wow. I'm exhausted just typing about it...

Third times a charm...

2011-04-07T05:31:00.000-07:00

It was nothing short of miraculous that Cody and I finally agreed upon a house. Oh yeah, but then someone out bid us. Back to square one.

We finally found and agreed upon a second house. But, the sellers weren't really all that interested in selling just yet. We feel sorry for you that you bought your house right before the housing market tanked, but that's not our fault.

And then, by a stroke of luck (or was it?), house number 3 came along. In all its beauty. Cody was in love. I was in love. SOLD!

An update...

2011-02-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

Well, it's a little after 9 a.m. and I'm laying in bed. It's not that I forgot to set my alarm, it's that I didn't need to! For the first time since I started working, I was informed that with the inclement weather, I had a snow day! Now, that's not to say that I'm not doing any work...because, I am! But I'll also be able to catch up on some last minute projects before Baby Hathaway arrives later this week {hopefully!}, and my pretty Valentines lap quilt that I'm working on. It's beautiful...really. Here's a picture of what it will look like...

Enjoy your day whether it involves snow, ice, work or watching Temple Grandin {like me!}.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T11:21:00.000-08:00

So, I'm a little behind. Get over it.

The Latest...

2010-12-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official. As of today, I have accepted a new job that will be relocating me (and Cody as soon as school is over in May) to Topeka, Kan.! I'm excited about the opportunity and the changes that will be happening, but sad to leave my current job (which I absolutely love), town, friends, family, and everything else.

I'll be starting January 10 as the social events coordinator at the Governor's Mansion. Wow. I typed it, that must mean that it's real. I'm unbelievably excited but still a little nervous about how I will do living by myself for 5 months (Cody and Izzy will be making frequent visits), but I'm doing it!

And with this news, a new picture of Izzy. Just keeping warm by the lights of the tree!

Because she's just so darn cute...

2010-12-10T10:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!

Life

2010-11-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

Currently getting back into the swing of reading this on a daily basis.

I was reading about Ruth and came across something that really hit home with me...

Never assume that what happens in your life is merely a matter of chance or coincidence. Remember: God is at work, divinely orchestrating events to bring about His purpose in your life.

It seems so easy to find yourself complaining about this or that: work, money, where you live, the clothes you have or don't have, health, the frigid morning air that hits your face as you run outside at 6:30 a.m. to get your dog to stop barking...

But you know what? I've devoted my life to Him and I need to do my best to live according to His will. And if that means jumping on the roller coaster and just hanging on for dear life...then count me in.

*Disclaimer: I'm sure it won't be nearly as scary as this little girl is making it out to be...

06. Family Pictures

2010-10-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a little peek into the torture that I put Cody through last Sunday...

You would have thought that it was the end of the world when I asked him to show up at the end of my mini sessions so that we could have someone take a few pictures of us. Now, granted I did make him wear a sweater and it was 80 degrees outside...

I'll have more to share soon when I get around to editing them. But, paying customers come first!

101 in 1001 Updates

2010-10-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

I just realized that my 101 in 1001 ends on April 18 of next year! Holy cow (speaking of holy cows...where did this expression come from?)! Where has the time gone?

I had all of these high hopes for myself when creating this list back in 2008. And now I need to kick my tail into high gear if I'm going to get anywhere close to completing the list.

Here are a few updates:
06. Completed this item last Sunday. Stay tuned for the evidence.
10. Cody took me to see Dinner for Schmucks quite awhile back. He loved it. I laughed, but not as hard as he did.
74. I'm not sure if I ever mentioned this but I have finally made it back in to the dentist for a cleaning after almost three years! Proud to report, no cavities! Can't say the same for my dear husband...
80. Unfortunately, this will be one of the items impossible to complete. Turns out, my class didn't have a five year reunion! And really? I've been out of high school for more than six years??
83. As Halloween approaches I realized that I did attend a costume party last year. I was a rockin' 80s workout video star. I had lots of energy that night. Maybe it was the leggings...or the side pony. Either way.

There you have it! My updates. I will try not to wait another month before my next blog post. I promise it won't be that long. How can I resist showing you a picture of Cody...in a sweater...in 80 degree weather while we get family pictures taken? Who would have thought it would be so warm at the end of October??!!

Just a thought...

2010-09-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

As one "church" goes back and forth and back and forth on whether or not to burn a book that one group of people deems a holy, religious text, I think about the field that I am in...public relations.
Which was in the school of mass communications...

...which is exactly what seems to be fueling this crazy man's fire.

I do believe that Gen. Petraeus is right, this church's act will undoubtedly endanger our troops and also those of us here in the United States. If everyone seems to believe this as much as they say they do, WHY OH WHY does every single media outlet feel the need to give this guy his 15 minutes?

He claims to be "praying" about what to do. I pray that he is. And that maybe, if he listens hard enough to His plan, he'll decide to preach this or maybe even this. I hope so.

The Life and Times of Izzy Witte

2010-08-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

Izzy has really been settling in during the past five weeks of our relationship.

She started out very mild, calm and sleepy...

Then she got comfortable. A little too comfortable...

She enjoys her playdates with other dogs...

Likes to chew on her nametag...

...splash in her water bowl...

And now we're back to mild, calm and sleepy Izzy. Ahhh, thank goodness.

St. Louie

2010-08-11T15:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Cody and I took a trip with our friends the Mortons to St. Louis! It was nice to go away for a long weekend. And even though we had planned lots of things to do, it still seemed relaxing.

Here was our itinerary:
Thursday: The Zoo & The Science Center
Friday: Six Flags & The Magic House
Saturday: The Arch & City Museum

I was able to cross off #61 on my 101 in 1001 list, go to an amusement park! And...we saved big because i used a coupon. No pictures as proof because let's face it, lugging a big camera around would have been slightly annoying. But nonetheless, count it as a success!

Here are some more pictures from our trip.
The Zoo:

The Arch:

Here, Brody is measuring to see just how tall it is :)

I tried to spare you of the millions of pictures taken at the zoo. You're welcome. (why do I even take all of those cutesy animal pictures? they all end up getting deleted anyway!)

The next post will be about the launch of my new web site! It should be up and running by the end of the day Friday!

Rebecca Witte Photography

2010-08-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

Folks, within the next week and a half, I plan to have a site on the World Wide Web. Yep, a real-deal site promoting my photography business. It's so crazy to think I've gotten to this point, but it's exciting! I can't wait to get it posted. I've been working on it for the past week and other than needing a sweet new logo (help me, rhonda.) I'm pretty close to ready. Colors have been sorted through. Pictures have been edited. Music has been selected.

Here's a peak...

My new purse!

2010-07-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

Get excited, folks. This is the real deal. A new purse...and I didn't make it! Okay, so someone made it...but not me! I decided instead of sitting around with this project for a year or so until I could get around to it, I'd let a friend do it for me. Wise choice. She had it done in a matter of weeks compared to the months (cough, years) that it would have taken me. Thanks, Angela!

Here's what we started with: a beautiful dress. A TJ Maxx dress that I shouldn't have bought in the first place because, it didn't really fit, but I did anyway. It was a good deal, and I did wear it once! I put it on more times than I can count continually hoping that I had magically shrunk just enough to squeeze that bad boy on.

And, friends, here is my new WONDERFUL purse!

Beautiful, I know. Funny thing is I don't even have it in my possesion yet. But soon, so soon. And I can't wait!

**By the way, Angela is fabulously talented. She has an Etsy shop where you can view and purchase all of her wonderful creations!

I retract my former statement...

2010-07-26T05:40:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong, Wyatt is still a cutie, but now I think I have him beat.

Meet, Izzy. Our new 3.5 month shepherd mix from the humane society. She was full of energy when we first met her but has calmed down quite a bit since getting her home (thank goodness). She has had two doggie play dates that have gone great! I can't say her meeting with Antone the cat went quite as well.

Our next investment is a good rug to put in the living room. Poor thing slides all over the place on our wood floors. But she doesn't spend too much time on the floor, this is her favorite place to rest...

And this next picture is for her cousin, Wyatt...

Such a handsome little guy...

2010-07-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

We visited Karen and Justin this past weekend and got to spend lots of quality time with their new dog, Wyatt. He was VERY loving and really enjoyed giving me lots of sweet doggie kisses.

Latest Happenings

2010-07-01T05:32:00.000-07:00

We bought a dining room table! It's beautiful and I love it.

I also just finished my latest sewing project. It's a gift for an expecting mother but I'm pretty confident she's not in the blogosphere so I can give a sneak peak here...

Rain, rain, go away!

2010-06-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was quite eventful!

It started out with playing in the Chamber's golf tournament on Friday and then our church golf outing on Saturday. That's more golf than I think I've ever played. I was exhausted. And burnt.

Sunday morning we woke up to this in our basement...

And this at the golf course...

This picture below is of #10. It has never been under water...

And this is of the driving range. Nice...

Things are finally starting to get back to normal at the course. We will have all 18 holes open tomorrow!

Way to go, Blogger!

2010-06-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

I think Blogger has finally caught on. People like jazzy backgrounds and they will get them from somewhere if the blog doesn't provide it.

You have to check out the cool new backgrounds that you can apply to your blog! Don't you love my crafty ribbons?!

It Takes Two

2010-06-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

Has it really been three years? Okay, to be honest sometimes it feels like it's been much longer than that...but not in a bad way!

I'm still trying to experiment with storyboards so until I perfect that, you will just get a long line of pictures as I walk you through our wedding day. Just so you're forewarned, this will not be short. I loved all of my wedding pictures done by the fabulous Erica May Photography.

We were married on Saturday, June 9, 2007 at the Barns at Timber Creek in Winfield. It was a very hot day. I remember being up in the room where we got ready and lifting my dress over the a/c unit. Ahhh...

The details were fairly simple and went along with my somewhat funky color scheme of cranberry red and lime green. What can I say, I'm a fun gal.

We had a sting quartet play. My favorite: the cello.

Here are the groomsmen: Brett Seeliger, Matt Sander, Justin Barr and Cade & Colton Witte.

The lovely bridesmaids: Karen Hathaway, Hannah Anderson, Andrea Vap, Ashlea Vap and Abby Brownback.

Cody and I saw each other beforehand for pictures. Here is our first peek...

Up next: The ceremony. I descended a large flight of stairs in flip flops and somehow did not trip and fall. It must have been a wedding miracle.

Cody's dad made the arb in the background out of tree logs from his backyard. It was fabulous! I wanted a really jazzy song to exit to so that I could get my dance on. Cody did not feel quite the same way but I got my way. So while I rocked to the beat, Cody did his best to hold me back and also keep from laughing.

Yep, this was grand exit song...and no, not the Rob Base & DJ E Z Rock version, much to Sandra Bullock's dismay.

And I'll leave you with this final thought from our wedding. Confused? Don't be. It's an inside family joke.

Thanks for three great years, Cody, and for hanging in with all of the wild shenanigans that I put you through! Love you!

I beg your pardon...

2010-06-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

...I never promised you a rose garden!

Okay, here's the latest garden updates. Things are green! That's a step in the right direction, at least.

Lettuce planted from seeds...

Strawberry plants...

Squash from seeds...

Onion from bulbs...

We also have several other things but why bore you with MORE pictures? Suffice it to say that everything looks beautiful and green and I'm trying not to get too cocky that we've had success on our first try at a garden...

Daily dose of funny...

2010-05-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

This should give you enough of a chuckle to get through this hump day.

Prelude to this story: I've been tanning off an on for almost 3 weeks now. Please hold your comments about how bad it is for you, blah blah blah. I haven't tanned in almost 3 years. I needed some color. Anyway...

Last night, Cody gets home from his track meet and he's just about ready to go visit sleepy-town.

He looks at me and says, "Have you been tanning?"

I bite my lip and try so hard not to smile.

"Well, maybe you're just standing in a shadow or something."

I make a beeline for the light switch.

"Or...maybe...you're just dirty."

I can no longer hold it in. I burst into hysterical laughter. Ya know, like the kind where you can hardly breathe.

"You think I look dirty??!!"

Wow, that sure makes a wife feel good.

#73 -- Garden

2010-05-04T05:57:00.000-07:00

While nothing is ready to dig up and eat, we did officially plant our first garden a couple of weeks ago!

We planted watermelon, strawberries, green peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, snap peas, cucumbers and lettuce. I figured if we planted a lot of things, that would increase our odds of something actually making it to harvest time.

I know nothing about gardens. Well, I know that they need to be watered but other than that I'm clueless. Cody grew up out in the country and his family always had a garden so he felt pretty confident in what he was doing. So, while he planted...I went inside and made beautiful markers to label what each row was. Over the top? Maybe. Do I care? Nope!

This past weekend we (note: Cody) built a little protector thing-a-ma-jig for our strawberries. There was one berry on the plant when we put it in the ground. By the next day, it had magically disappeared. There was also a little gap in our chainlink fence where two cute little rabbits would get into our backyard. Last year I loved it. I could look out the window and see these two little guys just stretched out, enjoying the sun. This year, they're trampling all over our garden! So we put up this rabbit guard stuff up around our fence. So far...no rabbits. They have remained in the alley or in our neighbors yards. Success!

Five on Friday

2010-04-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

1. Gardening
We planted our first garden this past Sunday. I wanted to use all plants to give us the best chance at success. Cody, on the other hand, felt confident in his gardening abilities so we used mostly seeds. We planted watermelon, zucchini, yellow squash, snap peas, jalapeno, green pepper, tomato, onion, cucumber and strawberries. This weekend we will be planting some lettuce. I made some pretty adorable (if I do say so myself) little signs to label where everything was planted (Thanks, Cricut)! Hopefully another post will come on this soon...

2. Photography
I'm still trucking away at this photography business. It seems like all I do is edit pictures! My house is a mess, but Cody promises that he's going to be helping with that this weekend. Mother's Day is right around the corner...mom's love getting new pictures taken of their whole family. Purchase a one hour, on-location shoot for only $50*. This will include a cd of edited images with full copyright release! (*This price is valid for the Wichita/Newton area. If you are located outside of this area, contact me for pricing.)

3. Survivor Update
Heroes vs Villains has not dissapionted. I mean COME ON, have these past Survivors not watched the most recent seasons?? It kills me how many people are putting their "full trust" in Russell and then sure enough, they are all picked off one by one. The smartest thing they could have done would've been to vote him off first!

4. And when the winds blow, He is my shelter
We sang that song Wednesday night at church...and in perfect timing. MAN has the wind been brutal this week. My hair gets all scraggly but I have just learned to embrace it. What can you do, it's Kansas!

5. In one week we will be flying out to Tennessee to visit my family! I'm definitely excited about getting away, even if only for a weekend, before the super busy season at work hits. What's the occasion? It's my grandpa's 80th birthday! At least I don't have to try and remember to send a card this year...I'll be there in person!

My new baby...

2010-04-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

...okay, it's not really a baby. But I will love it and cherish it as if it is one. Speaking of the new lens (Nikon 80-200mm, 2.8), I will have to start doing some major arm workouts if I'm going to be able to hold this thing up for longer than five minutes! It's massively huge but will be so nice to have when I shoot my FIRST WEDDING on May 15!

Sneak Peek: The {T} Family

2010-04-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, was my first chance to photograph a large group. And by large, I mean more than two people! This was one of the free sessions I offered via my Facebook group and a good friend of mine, Kristen, took me up on the offer! We had three brothers and two sister in laws total. Luckily, this group is a riot. They know how to have a good time...even if just getting their picture taken!

It was quite an experience. Things learned:

Take a million pictures of each pose and maybe you'll come out with at least a few where no one is blinking.
Be very concious of where your camera is focusing if on AF, sometimes it likes to focus on the tree limb behind the group instead of the group itself!

Thanks again for letting me experiment on your family!

Five on Friday

2010-04-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

1. I convinced Cody that we should have a date night tonight. I wanted to call it that because we will be going to see this movie...

2. If you couldn't tell from my previous post, we have a very exciting wedding to attend this weekend up in KC. There will be rings, reuniting with old friends and I'm sure lots of laughing. I'm also planning to debut a new dress that I purchased the last time we were in KC. It's the little things that get me excited...

3. It's tournament season again, kids. You know what that means, right? Twice this week I have left the house at 6 a.m. and been able to watch the sunrise from the golf course. Bring it on.

4. We bought a truck last Friday! We had to drive down to Enid, Okla. to get a good deal, but it was worth the drive. It is an '07 Silverado, extended cab. It's beautiful. But very hard to park...

5. We have a lecturship at our church this coming week. Roger Shepherd, our preacher's uncle, is coming and speaking Sunday-Thursday on Jesus and Him Crucified. It should be a good time!

Going to the chapel...

2010-04-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

(This is for you, Sass. And only because I am confident you will get a chuckle out of it...and I am more than confident that you need at least a chuckle. Maybe chocolate and/or caffeine would be more appropriate, but I can't send that via blog post...)

This is just one card in a line of, what seems to be, very humorous greetings. Pioneer Woman posted these on her blog and I just couldn't help but think of a certain someone who will be married (that's right girl, married!) in less than one week's time. Congratulations, Sarah & Adam!

Maternity Session

2010-03-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

Forgive the poor image quality (I saved it in way too small a size), blah lettering and the fact that my lines don't meet up everywhere. This was my first time to try a collage and I'm figuring it, now after I've messed up this one, that there's an easier way!

My friend Trista, is due any day now. Trying to get our schedules to coincide seemed impossible, but we got in a quick session just days before she is induced!

Maternity Session

2010-03-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

I shared this picture with you last Friday of Matt & Stacia {H}. She is due here in a few short weeks with her first child. We met up at a park in Andover for their session...

Thanks for letting me take your pictures!

Five on Friday

2010-03-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

1. Maternity Sessions.

I met up with the {H} family. They are expecting their first baby here in just a few weeks. He coaches girls basketball so once their season was over we were finally able to get their session in. A more complete post will follow next week when all of their pictures are finished.

2. A month ago tomorrow, I participated in a group photo session with a super fun couple. It was coordinated by this lovely lady. The female model was ready and willing to walk around the West Bottoms in KC...donning her wedding dress...in the 30-some degree weather. There was also light snow for a portion of their shoot! Once I get caught up, I'll post some more pictures from this session. Think lots of fun backdrops, bright colors and props.

3. Turkey Season
Cody has convinced himself that he is going to take up turkey hunting. I guess if he's going to keep buying these guns he might as well get some good use out of them. And I must say, I do like the taste of turkey way more than deer. Last weekend we took a super quick trip up to KC and The Legends so that I could shop (and shop, I did.) and he could hit up Cabelas. He purchased a turkey call and a decoy. He has (ever so fondly) named her Jezebel. April 14 can't get here soon enough for him!

4. March Madness
I'm not one to put my bracket in a money pool. I like to bet on things like a plate of chocolate chip cookies (and when Cody and I are at the checkout playing 'Over or Under' on the amount of our grocery bill, back massages). But, not that I'm bragging or anything, but I did win our church pool last year and am feeling a back-to-back championship for my ability to pick which name sounds cooler, which name is more fun to write, which team has the coolest color combination or mascot and ~~rarely~~ more often, who I actually think can win the game. I ~~guessed~~ selected 11 games correctly and the ones that I missed, I have that team losing the next round anyway. So far so good...GO STATE!

5. Memories...
Don't think Cats, think four girls getting together who haven't seen each other in way too long.

Like, look how blonde my hair was long...

Or, we spent every day in this building long...

Hometown Showcase long...

Bachelorette Party (with one more coming in less than one month!) long...

And even Best Day Ever long...

Enjoy your weekends, I know I will!

Best day ever.

2010-03-11T07:34:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of this girl, I have been introduced to the Handsome Men's Club. Get ready to spend the next 9 minutes laughing hysterically. It has made my day. So much so that I think I'll watch it again RIGHT. NOW.

14. Photography

2010-03-01T15:09:00.001-08:00

I'm still a long ways from my goal of "Learning a thing or two about photography," but I'd say I'm getting closer and closer with every shoot! I did about 80% of this session in manual mode and the rest of the time I was in a pre-set setting for bright. Because it was just that...extremely bright. It kind of freaked me out the entire time, I was just hoping I got good pictures because it was even so bright I could hardly tell what the pictures looked like when I hit preview! Luckily, we came out with some good ones and I'm looking forward to their wedding in September!

(In case you didn't notice, I'm having a slight obsession with black and white pictures right now. Don't worry, they will get all of these in color, as well. Up next: photos from my KC bridal portrait session with Ericamay Photography & Beaty Photography. You'll definitely want to check back...)

Five on Friday

2010-02-26T05:53:00.001-08:00

This week has gone by so unbelievably fast. But not without exciting events to share with you!

1. T-Shirt Quilt

I finally finished my own t-shirt quilt. It's beautiful. I love it. It's soft and colorful. And it holds all sorts of fabulous high school memories. It's not perfect, but I don't care...because I made it!

2. Healthy Baby Boutique
I also finally took in part of my baby gear to the local baby boutique here in Newton. I took in my baby wipes cases and the owner seemed to think that they would go over really well. Hopefully so! Here are a few examples of what I've taken down. But don't worry, everything can still be purchased through our Etsy site!

3. Broken Camera
Yikes. It's true. I dropped my beautiful Nikon D80 on the sidewalk. And...in the middle of an engagement session. Luckily, I knew the couple and they live in town so we just decided to reschedule. I don't know what people did before this, but it definitely saved my life. All I did was search "Nikon D80, dropped my camera." It gave me links to all sorts of message boards where really intelligent people like me have done the same thing. I tried one of the suggestions and...poof! Camera fixed. Engagement session will resume this Saturday and all is well in the world again.

4. Work
Our general manager just got back from his annual leadership meeting in Chicago and brought back a plethora of plaques and trophies for the course. He received General Manager of the Year and we also had an award for Green to a Tee Facility of the Year (the new "green" program that was rolled out last year). There were also a few other awards that were received but I think those were probably the biggest. Yay for us!

5. Bachelor
The finale is in just a few days. Too bad I already know who wins. If you want to know, check out Reality Steve (spoiler alert! don't click that link if you don't want to know!). I don't think he's been wrong yet. I mean come on, the guy knew that Jason was going to dump Melissa on nat'l television after proposing to her on the finale. And I know who the next Bachelorette will be. But please, is it really that hard to figure out? Some say that takes the fun out of watching the show. Yeah, maybe. But I'm one of those people who just has to know. My sister and I would search for our Christmas presents (not like it was hard, Mom. you put them in the same spot every year. going to have to get more creative than under the bed...sorry). It's still fun to watch the finale and just see how exactly it all plays out. The best part of Monday night will be getting to find out the new celebrities for Dancing with the Stars!

Have a great weekend!

Five on Friday

2010-02-16T08:01:00.000-08:00

With a slightly modified idea (stolen) from several people in the blog world here is my first edition of 'Five on Friday.'

1. I'm headed up to KC today for the annual Kansas City Golf Show. I pretty much man a booth and tell people about our awesome course. Last year it was nerve wracking. I had barely been working here for two months and was alone for six hours at the show trying to remember our rates, course details, etc. I had several cheat sheets I reviewed during down times but this year should go much smoother...

2. While I'm in KC, I will be partaking in an awesomely fun photo shoot with this couple and this couple. I'm looking forward to picking up some tricks o' the trade and having the opportunity to come back with some great shots! There will be props, the West Bottoms of KC and a fun couple donning their old wedding attire. And, if weather cooperates I'll be doing an engagment session on Sunday afternoon. Look for some of my pictures next week!

3. Taxes. Ugh. We decided this year that it would be a good idea to take our taxes to professionals instead of doing them ourselves and accidentally screwing something up and not getting our sweet $8,000 credit on our new house. Should be interesting.

4. Cody's 7th grade girls basketball team did outstandingly well this year! They were undefeated although I can't remember exactly how many games they did play. The girls were very excited and very nervous during their last game, waiting to see if they could pull through the entire season. Even in all the glory of his debut year of coaching, Cody's pretty sure that it was his first and last year. 'Save the drama for your mama' could have been the theme for the last few weeks of practice.

5. Survivor: Heroes vs. Villians. Need I say more? I've been watching Survivor since my second year of college and I managed to get Cody hooked once we got married. Survivor is now on it's 20th season and somehow it doesn't get old. The characters are always so...unique. And yes, I do know that this is a reality show so techniqually they should be called contestants or participants. But let's face it, some of them really are characters...

Have a great weekend!

My sweet tooth is aching...

2010-02-10T07:24:00.001-08:00

Let's be honest, my sweet teeth. Oh my goodness. This looks like the most incredible dessert ever invented. It won't help out with my whole everything-in-moderation-plus-working-out "diet". Let's be honest, I wouldn't be able to consume this in moderation. No way.

This is the recipe. You won't be dissapointed. I'll definitely be making this sometime this month...

01. Help!

2010-02-09T12:34:00.000-08:00

Our dear 'bags fly free' friend is running a pretty sweet deal through this Thursday.

Help me decide where Cody and I should spend a few days for his birthday...

-Amarillo
-Chicago
-Dallas
-Indianapolis
-Louisville
-Milwaukee
-Nashville
-St. Louis

Any suggestions? I have to book by end of day Thursday!

Warning: Not for the faint of heart.

2010-02-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

Well, folks...he's at it again.

If the tragic deer story wasn't enough for one year, he decided to go bird hunting this past weekend. He hasn't shot at tiny flying animals in several years so he was only looking for a good time as they headed out on Saturday afternoon. Sure enough, only one shot was taken between the three guys and this is what Cody has to show for it.

This is a quail for all of you who are foul with your fowl. We ate it on Sunday. Wrapping something in bacon makes it edible no matter what...

While they were out hunting, the ladies (well, the two of us) did some baby crafting for a certain Alexis Kay who is due to make her grand apperance in the next two months! Wipes case, pacifier clip, burp rags and onesies were on the docket (strikingly similar to these). Next weekend: tag blanket, hair bows and more onesies while the boys feverishly try to finish their basement before the baby gets here!

So adorable...

2010-01-26T18:50:00.001-08:00

I just finished my latest project while watching this movie...

How adorable is this??? I've been doing lots of crafting the past two days and will hopefully have some very exciting news to share in the next few. Gotta love the Sew Sistas.

It just now registered...

2010-01-18T19:32:00.000-08:00

So Cody and I are sitting here watching Castle (which, by the way, Cody absolutely loves) and this Subway commercial comes on. You know, the one with the grown men speaking in little kiddo voices wanting to trade their food.

And as one of the little squirley tykes begs to trade he says, "I've got pudding..."

Who used pudding as a bargaining tool at the lunch table? Are you kidding me?

Fruit by the foot, sure. Lofthouse cookies, of course. Sandwiches cut into triangles with the crust cut off? No brainer. But pudding? Never in my life.

What about you? What was your x-factor?

T-Shirt Quilt

2010-01-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

Woo Hoo! This was a seriously huge undertaking for me but I'm so proud of the finished product!
Cody is glad to get our floorspace back. I tend to spread things out all over the place instead of containing my projects to one room.

The theme of the quilt was based around the fact that the recipient is a wrestler for Newton High. He has outgrown a lot of his old shirts so his parents thought this would be a great way to display them instead of just throwing them into a drawer, never to be seen again.

Now, finishing my own! And don't forget about our Etsy site!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

As I'm looking forward to going down to Winfield at the end of this week to spend time with Cody's family (and trying desperately to cope with the fact that I'm missing out on another holiday season in Tennessee with my family....ugh, married life) I came across this picture and thought I would share.

Merry Christmas!

An Update: The Sew Sistas

2009-12-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

It was almost a year ago now that Karen and I received our first sewing machines (thanks, mom!). Then, there was the birth of the Sew Sistas.

Many projects have come and gone since then but we finally decided to enter a craft show. It was quite an experience, to say the least. By far, we had the cutest, most stylish findings at the fair. We sold aprons, bags, baby items, scarves, decorative coasters and necklace pendants.

Here we are in our booth, modeling Karen's halter-top aprons. Stylish and sassy!

Well, for those of you needing gifts for your friends and family, the Sew Sistas now has an Etsy site! You can visit our shop by clicking here. We still have items that have not been added to the site yet, but keep checking back because we have new items coming out constantly!

Our necklace pendants have been one of the most popular items. It's a small, 1"x1" glass tile in various patterns with a clear, thick coating on the top to make them shine. They can be worn on almost any typical chain that you might already have in your jewelry box.

We also take custom orders if you have a particular fabric, color or pattern that you're looking for. For special orders, you can e-mail us at sewsistas@gmail.com.

Happy shopping!

#14 - So this is called a camera...

2009-11-13T13:37:00.000-08:00

When I first started putting together my 101 in 1001 list, I took careful consideration to put at least a few things down that would require me to gain new skills or improve upon ones that I already had.

When I decided that I wanted to "Learn a thing or two about photography" I wasn't quite sure what that would mean for me. But, just a few short months later, I had purchased my first big-girl camera: a Nikon D80.

My first chance to use it was in Tennessee, Christmas 2008. My experience with cameras up to now was all with little point-and-shoot cameras. This was big. I had no clue what I was doing besides the fact that I wanted to learn. It took me forever to even figure out that I didn't have to manually focus it every time I wanted to take a picture! Exhibit A:

But I kept trying. We were there for several days, doing several "picture-worthy" things. Epic failure.

And now look at me! Okay, luckily I was very vague when I made this goal 'Learn a thing or two about photography', because I am no where near being on even the semi-professional level. More often than not I still shoot on auto, although I have branched out to shooting with aperture priority most recently.

I've done a handful of photo shoots for close friends and so far, so good! Here are a few of my favorites from my first few sessions...

I'm sure I'll only continue to learn more as the years come and go. And while I am far from great, I'm still loving every minute of it!

Re: The American media

2009-11-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

For more thought-provoking posts such as this, visit my dear friend, Sara's blog. We both graduated from K-State with the same degree. So while I can't put it quite as eloqently, I definitley shake my fist in agreement when I read things like this. I figured I might as well lead off with the fact that these aren't my words, I'm sure you'd figure that out soon enough...

Dear struggling Sirs and Madams:

I know you are choking under the pressure of this Information Age and that many of your counterparts are dying off in droves. You are weary. Burdened. Scared.

And I realize that you are in a tough spot. You must prove yourselves worthy or suffer obliteration. And as each day ticks by, you are surely realizing that no one is really above this media crisis and that sure, it started with small town, no-name newspaper martyrs but now, Big Media Giant(s), even you are at risk.

I get it. You are just trying to stay afloat. Gain a foothold. Keep from drowning. Survive.

So, you are inundating us with information. And big news splashes. And "we've-got-it-firsts." And it is oh-so-easy to get sucked into your pomp and circumstance.

But the thing is--and I really don't mean any disrespect here--but mostly, you aren't really saying anything anymore.

You just distract me with Jon and Kate. Or David Letterman. Or what kind of beer Obama drank with that professor who was arrested when entering his own home.

And I guess I'm supposed to walk away thinking Wow, I am so informed.

And you know what? Sometimes I do.

But the thing is, I really want to engage. To connect. To feel someone else's reality instead of lackadaisically skimming headlines and largely skipping over what really matters.

Because I do that, too, you know. In a strange twist of irony, I tend to ignore the blurbs of truth you print (Afghanistan...skip...Iran...skip...North Korea...skip, skip) because I guess by now I'm just growing a bit weary and burdened and afraid myself.

Weary of too many messages hitting me over the head all the time all clamoring for my attention.

Burdened with the task of weeding through the muck for something worth knowing. Then wondering if even it too is a cover-up or a sham or a media plant in order to distract me from some other larger truth.

Afraid that soon I'll give up in defeat and settle for happy naivete--because who wants to be one of those depressed cynics? Not this girl.

Now, hear me when I say that I take some responsibility for this situation. I recognize there will always be some excuse that makes it easier to just close my ears and drift along in my little comfortable bubble. And that it really is up to me to make the commitment to know the world around me. And further, that I perpetuate your existence by consuming your hype.

However, I also studied journalism. And I would at least like to believe that you--yes, even you--at one time also believed in the power of the written word. And the ability that you have to really change the world.

And I guess I would also just like to remind you that at one time, you existed as the public watch dog. That annoying, nagging, necessary, voice for the people.

Because we need you. We need a source we can trust to blow the whistle, to ask the tough questions, to make people wiggle in their chair or globally celebrate justice or maybe even move us to tears.

And not to sell more papers or generate more ad revenue or up your number of online subscribers.

But simply to bring the world to our doorstep. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, we are now blowing the whistle on you.

Please listen.

Sincerely,

A very dissatisfied--yet hopeful--consumer

Defying Gravity...

2009-10-27T19:20:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, Karen came down from KC and we had a girls' weekend. The highlight was obviously going to see...

It was fabulous. The actors were great, the set was great, the singing was...great. I'm working on talking Cody into going back with me...

Chiefs vs. Cowboys

2009-10-14T10:51:00.001-07:00

So, Cody and I received some free Chiefs tickets for this past weekend's game (thanks Dad!). We layered, bundled and were on our way!

Check out Cody's new hunting coat! He's very excited about getting out here in a month or so to do his "manly duty" of providing us with food.

I included this picture because because Tony Romo is the little guy down on the 15 yard line. Actually, little did he know but Jessica Simpson was sitting next to me wearing a Chiefs jersey.

All in all, it was a fun weekend. We got to stay with Karen and Justin and did a little shopping.

#58 - Rolling Hills Wildlife

2009-09-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a friend of mine, I have checked another item off of the list. This past weekend we went to Rolling Hills Wildlife in Salina. Here is the crew: Steven & Sarah, Cody & Me and Thad & Kristen. It was such a nice day to be outside!

We found this steal in the gift shop. Everyone looks great in this type of hat.

Enjoying our time in the interactive Kid's section...

We walked a lot...

We watched the giant turtles for awhile and noted how dirty they were...

This little (I mean giant) guy was a cutie. Not Thad, but the orangutan. All of the animals were very subdued. Many were even asleep. I don't know why, but it seems I always expect for them to put on a show for me or something...

Our proof that this was where we were!

Thanks, Kristen!

I heart Manhattan.

2009-09-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

Especially this time of year. Football games, tons of people everywhere...wearing purple!

Kedzie Hall, PR and yes, T.Simon.

Razzle Dazzle bowling? Yes, please.

Acting like a dork is a must. You cannot be too cool for tacky Christmas sweaters.

Don't worry, we had plenty of time for relaxation...

And this place. This place was fabulous (and also my home for a year).

I heard this song today and it made me remember my friends and my time in Manhattan.

There's a stirring deep within me.

Could it be my time has come?

When I see my gracous savior,

Face to face when all is done.

Is that His voice I am hearing?

Come away my precious one.

Is He calling me?

I will rise up,

I will rise up.

And I'll bow down

Lay my crown

At His wounded feet.

I will rise up,

I will rise up.

And I'll bow down

Lay my crown

At His wounded feet.

There's a stirring deep within me.

Could it be my time has come?

Sadie's 4-year-old pictures

2009-08-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, so these pictures aren't four years old, but this cute little girl definitely is! Here are some of the best pics from our photo shoot yesterday.

First, the princess dress. Sadie absolutely loves princesses. They took a family trip back in the Spring to Disney World and her parents bought this dress for her and saved it for her birthday! I'll lead off with the true Sadie. Goofy. If this tells you anything, Napolean Dynamite is one of her favorite movies...

We found some really great locations, most of which we just happened to stumble across!

While the princess dress is fun, we had to get some in a more "normal" outfit, as well.

I couldn't choose between the next two pictures. I liked them both too much.

Our las stop was this wrecker that Sadie's dad had spotted earlier in the week. He's a mechanic (and a very good one, at that. yes, we know from personal experience.) and we thought this would be a great picture for him. But, it was the end of the day and the smiles we were getting were very sleepy smiles...

The Kitchen: Before and After

2009-08-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

More new house pictures! Below you will see the transformation of our kitchen. Unfortunately, I didn't think to take too many pictures of what it looked like beforehand.

Obstacle #1: The house came with a 36" gas stove. We replaced everything in the house that was gas with electric. The standard size for stoves today is 30". So, our handyman Steve built 3" inserts on each side of the opening to match our cabinets. He did a fabulous job.

In this picture, you will see our new countertops, new fixtures on the cabinets and Cody laying our new tile floor...for the first time.

For the first time? Yep, that means we had to do it twice. The first time it looked like this...

Yikes. Sure it's funny now. But it definitely wasn't funny when Cody had finally worked his way around the room and it was 1 a.m. We learned the lesson about lot numbers the hard way. We know now for the next time. Below you will see the tile backsplash that Cody put up, after he tore down the first one.

This picture shows some more of Steve's skills. The closet on the right side of the picture use to be a broom closet. Now it's our pantry!

Please excuse the mess. This was taken awhile back (wish I could say it looked cleaner now...). I'm still planning on hanging some cute curtains up above the sink.

Thanks to Dad, aka Sherwin, for being our "designated" painter. That's in quotations because he took that responsibility on himself. I, evidently, cannot be trusted with a roller.

School is in session

2009-08-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

Mr. Witte (or Coach Witte as some will call him) had his first day of school today!

He didn't really want to pose for a picture, so it was only what I was able to snap as he moved around getting ready this morning.

And then a quick shot as he walked out the door.

I'm sure he will do great! Must be nice to go to work in gym shorts and a t-shirt...

Flashback Friday!

2009-08-07T15:27:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's been so long. I won't promise that I'll be back next Friday with another flashback...but I'm waiting on Cody to get home so luckily...1) I remembered and 2) I had time to do this post!

Last weekend, a good friend of mine from high ,and my former neighbor, got married at the Barns at Timber Creek. It was fun to go back and reunite with old friends! All of my good friends from high school seem to be so scattered across not only the state, but the nation, so occasions like this are the only times we're back together.

As I was browsing pictures to use in this post, I came across this one:

On the far left is my friend, Brandon, who just got married. And the far right...me. Looking stunning in my purple pants, seated on a firetruck.

I believe this is also the house where I asked my friend, Dereck (holding the football), to wipe me. Ahh, memories.

Food for Thought

2009-07-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

#3 -- The house project

2009-07-21T18:57:00.001-07:00

Check it out. The first of my before/after photos of the new house!

This was the upstairs bathroom before. Nasty carpet, tile all over the walls and...

No shower?!?!

And here are our after shots.

We replaced the toilet. (Still to come: an over-the-toilet cabinet mounted to the wall)

We built the wall up to make a shower. And we tiled the shower and floor. We also ripped the tile off of the walls and put up something like wainscoting around the walls. Not fully featured in this following picture is the new shower rod. The kind that bows out away from the shower. The first time Cody was showering in there, he yells at me, "Rebecca! There's so much room in here!"

We put in a new mirror, vanity light, counter top, sink and fixtures.

Many thanks goes out to our Dads. Steve put up the wainscoting and all of the trim. And my dad painted everything for us! Cody did an awesome job on the shower. The tile we picked out was pretty small, so that made it more work to put up. But, we don't regret it. That may be my favorite part of the bathroom.

Next installment: the kitchen.

Photo Shoot: The Hathaways

2009-07-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

After a long blogging hiatus, things are starting to return to "normal" and I am planning to return to my beloved blog. I'm sure everyone is thrilled. Well, you should be. We recently got back from a mini vacation with the Andrews family at the Lake of the Ozarks (more to come soon). They had a cute little village-like shopping area and it was the perfect place to get some good shots of my sister and brother-in-law Justin.

I won't say it was easy. Take a look at the following two pictures. He's charming, for sure. But taking beautiful pictures doesn't come easy.

We did manage to get some good shots. Here's one of my favorites...

If only the light wasn't so awkward in the following picture, it would be my favorite. One day I will learn about all of the settings on my camera...

Shooting from below is always dangerous, but I actually think this one looks good with no scary double-chin action.

(Karen: I'll try to add a few more of the good ones sometime today.)

#25 - Pssshhh

2009-06-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

Who knew that not only would I begin making a quilt, I would finish one?! Okay, granted it was only a baby-sized quilt...but I did it!

I am just beyond excited and ready to get started on another one. I think I'll stick with the baby-sized until I get a little better. This one definitely has some "character" to prove that it was made by a beginner, but I'm sure that won't matter too much.

Next week, I have two projects. A tote bag for Beth, and an apron for a friend of mine having a wedding shower next weekend!

Year two: Complete

2009-06-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

It's been two years since June 9, 2007.

We were married at The Barns at Timber Creek. It was a great location and provided a great backdrop for the following pictures...

Cody and I saw each other beforehand for a photo session.

The ceremony.

The creep.

The bridesmaids (one of which is getting married this Saturday!)...

...and the groomsmen.

It's been a great two years and we're looking forward to a lifetime of more.

**Photos courtesty of Erica May Photography. Check her web site out at www.ericamay.com. If you think my pictures are good...she has only gotten better!

My latest sewing project...

2009-05-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited. I'm sewing my first quilt. Which means I'll soon be checking off another of my 101 in 1001...

It's a baby quilt for a shower I'll be helping with here in a few weeks. I've got all of the squares together, now I just have to figure out what to do next!

The Sew Sistas have been doing well so far, and I have a feeling the baby quilts could be a great addition to our current product line!

Big News...

2009-05-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

#3...Buy a House.

We've done it. It will be official on June 5. But it's feeling more and more official with every passing day. We're buying kitchen appliances this weekend (can't pass up those Memorial Day sales!).

Here's the front shot. The tree makes it a little hard to see from this angle. It could stand to be trimmed a little bit. But, we've got bigger projects to tackle first.

Here's a little more of a close up. I'm not showing inside pictures yet. You can watch for some before/after posts in the coming month.

I told Cody that we're now real adults. He told me that he always has been, he's just been waiting for me to catch up. Ha.

Babies!

2009-05-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

The following pictures will give you baby fever if you don't have it already...

Thanks, Mom.

2009-05-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!!

#26 -- Greeting Cards

2009-04-27T07:57:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago, my friend Trista invited me to a card-making party. I gladly accepted the invitation and then later remembered that I even had "learn to make greeting cards" on my 101 in 1001!

Now I just need to buy some stamping supplies to get started! Cody will be thrilled...

Prepare yourself...

2009-04-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

The day is finally here. The anticipation can finally be put to rest.

The Sew Sistas is now official...well, for the most part.

Who are the Sew Sistas? Good question. My sister Karen and I have started our own sewing business. Who knew creating things could be so much fun! Don't worry, I'm not quitting my day job. This is a new-found hobby and something that I enjoy doing. Hopefully one day this will be a nice supplemental income.

Maybe we won't sell anything. But maybe we will!

Check it out! Click here to visit our web site. We have aprons, tote bags, purses, baby slings and much more to come!

Note:
Cody's not sold on our name...but Karen and I like it.

#18 -- Chuy's (unauthorized) Creamy Jalapeño Dip

2009-04-12T20:26:00.001-07:00

If you recall from my big Houston post, I ate at a Tex Mex restaurant called, Chuy's. I decided to use my good friend, Google, to see if I could find a recipe for their jalapeño dip. I'd say I got pretty close with this...

16 oz. (or 24, it matters little) sour cream
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix powder
1 handful cilantro leaves (more or less to taste)
3/4 cup pickled jalapeño slices (more or less to taste. i also didn't use pickled slices.)

#18 -- Black Bean & Raspberry Dip

2009-04-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

This recipe is based off of the dip from So Long Saloon in Manhattan, Kan.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1/2 can black beans (drained, rinsed)
1/4 to 1/2 cup raspberry chipotle sauce (Bronco Bob's or a similar brand)

Combine all in a microwave-safe bowl and heat thoroughly.

A satisfied customer...

#18 -- White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

2009-04-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

So good.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 4 hours, 48 minutes (includes refrigeration time)

What you need:
12 Oreo cookies, finely crushed (I used more)
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 squares Baker's White Chocolate, divided
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup red reaspberry preserves

Make it:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 8-inch square pan. Melt 2 chocolate squares as directed on package.
Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 25 to 28 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool 5 minutes; spread with preserves. Melt remaining chocolate square; drizzle over cheesecake. Cool cheesecake. Refrigerate 4 hours. Cut into bars.

#79 - Everything's bigger in Texas.

2009-04-06T14:02:00.001-07:00

Only a few months shy of Abby moving to D.C., I was finally able to fly down for a weekend visit. I've been to Texas before, but never Houston, so it was quite the adventure.

Speaking of everything's bigger in Texas, I think that statement holds true in my first picture...

This is a statue outside of the Armadillo Palace. At night, it's eyes light up red. I won't lie, it's a little weird.

Next was the Williams Tower. This building is 64 stories tall. It is one of the tallest suburban office buildings in the world. This is only the very top portion of the building...

And this was a tree row in between the Tower and the Water Wall...so pretty!

Directly across from the tower is the real reason we went this direction, the infamous Water Wall.

This is 64 feet tall (to mimic the 64 stories of the Williams Tower) and has a recycled water supply of 78,500 gallons. Pretty impressive to say the least. We also ran into a professional photographer while we were there and he took some shots of the both of us. Unfortunately, the pictures were overexposed or something and didn't look so hot. See if you can tell the difference...who is the pro and who is the novice?

Abby was a good sport and let me shoot some senior pics for her.

She promised me that we would see a Quinceañera while we were near the Galleria. Oh and she was right. It is really hard to take pictures of other people without being too obvious. This is a shot just of the lucky 15-year-old birthday girl.

We also went to Swirlz. This is a self-serve, soft-serve shop. It's fabulous. Pick your flavor and then your toppings. Delicious.

Our afternoon consisted of some shopping, cupcake making and basketball watching. We ended the day with Tex Mex. Yowza. Sadly, I couldn't even eat the salsa at Chuy's because it was so hot! But they did have some yummy ranch/jalapeno dip that I was able to put down without sweating. Abby is a seasoned professional... I'm pretty sure she ate three bowls of that salsa.

Overall, my trip to Houston was great! Except for the fact that I left my cell phone in Abby's apartment. As much as she tries to take the blame, it was totally my fault. Anyway...it was fun to get away for a weekend and, of course, to visit an old friend. I mean, she is getting pretty old...

#33 - State Signs

2009-04-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

With my weekend adventure came crossing off another of my 101 things. I have started a photo album with a goal of taking my picture with every state sign.

This weekend I had to adjust that goal just a little bit.

It is not feasible to think I can take a decent picture of myself in front of a state sign if I am traveling alone.

What about Texas? I visited the state, but I flew in so I wasn't able to take a picture with the state sign.

My conclusion was that once I get to the state, I could take a picture with any sign that said the name of the state. I found that this was a very creative alternative and there are some fun signs to be discovered.

Here is Oklahoma. This picture was taken in Bricktown. It is one stop along a very long Oklahoma time line mural in a parking lot. People looked at me like I was crazy...but I didn't care.

Next is Texas. This is the sign of the Texas Community Bank. I did a little Photoshop editing on this so that only the word "Texas" would show up. Once again, I received strange looks. Once again, it didn't phase me.

This checks #33 off of my list! I have three pictures in my state sign photo album!

Oklahoma!

2009-04-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the first part of my weekend trip. These are all taken in OKC with my friend, Leah.

We went to visit the Oklahoma City Memorial. The last time I was here was back in eighth grade and Leah had never been, so we thought we would stop here before we went to the airport.

This is a statue across the street at a church. It is titled, Jesus Wept. The background is the entrance into the memorial.

This is one of the walls that surrounds the pool of water. The attack happened at 9:02 a.m. There is this wall, and another that says 9:03. The purpose was to enclose the time that the bombing actually happened.

These chairs represent each person who died in the attack. The names of those who died are engraved in each chair.

And then on a much lighter note, we went to Bricktown to walk around a little, as well. I made Leah pose for a picture..

Flashback Friday!

2009-03-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

The snow is coming! Or at least that's what the weather map is telling me.

I'm home today as it is highly doubtful that any golfers will be at the course today playing in 20 degree weather, rain and (soon to be) snow.

So, I'm doing some web site work and house cleaning. It feels great to be able to get some things done, including my Flashback Friday!

In December 2007, Hays received somewhere around 13.5 inches of snow. In light of our weather forecast, here are some pictures from that experience.

This is the Saturn. We had to use a Rubbermaid tote lid to dig the front of my car out of the snow drift.

This is in Wichita, at my parent's house. We had come down to spend some time and, sure enough, it snowed some more! We just couldn't escape it. I thought this picture would be fun to take...but it was coming down so hard and it was so windy that we couldn't really keep our eyes open!

Enjoy your weekend!

#04 - It's BBQ time!

2009-03-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

Cody's 24th birthday was this weekend. Nice weather and the need for a gift idea sent us in the direction of checking #4 off of our list, buying Cody a grill.

If you know me at all, you know that I had a coupon for Lowe's so we decided we would head there first and found our winner! Since we don't have a truck (Cody would have appreciated one of those for his birthday...) we couldn't buy one of the ones that was already put together. So Cody spent the afternoon watching basketball...and assembling his birthday present.

We put it to good use on Saturday evening when we had several friends over for the grill's inaugural use.

Cold Turkey

2009-03-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

If you recall a previous post of mine, you know that I successfully went a week without drinking any diet dr. pepper (or any carbonated beverage, for that matter).

Well, a week went by and I thought, "Eh, that wasn't too hard," so I kept going. Little did I know that my plan would turn into a month (and two days)!

I remember (conciously) going without drinking pop at one other point in my life. I'm sure I made it at least a month, but I can't remember the specifics.

I plan to revisit the world of carbonation at some point. I told Cody I was waiting for a special occasion...but I'm not really sure what I mean by that. :) But for now, I am content with water during the day and Crystal Light mixes at night.

Flashback...Saturday?

2009-03-07T06:56:00.001-08:00

I missed it. I wanted to get it done last night but I failed.

I enjoy these pictures of my "ballet" days. I'm so uncoordinated now, but I obviously look very confused in these pictures, as well. I'm the one with the pretty pink bow in my poofy hair.

I do look like I'm trying REALLY hard.

One day I will try again...

Freebies!

2009-02-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

This post is because I just can't hold great deals like these in to myself:

Get a free (yes, FREE!) Victoria Secret Tote, valued at 19.50. Click here and sign up for the Pink Nation club (use an old email address if you don't want to receive a bunch of emails from them) and it will take you to a page where you can print a coupon off for an undisclosed free item. But my trusted sources say that it is a free tote. Gotta love a tote. Even better, a free one.

And now, free food! Visit this page to print a coupon for a free Arby's Roastburger with the purchase of a drink!

Flashback Friday!

2009-02-27T05:01:00.000-08:00

Wow. We've had such nice weather the past week. While today won't be nearly as sunny and warm, we can't really complain with the weather we've had (especially throughout this "winter").

We're headed to Winfield tonight to watch Cody's youngest brother play basketball and then also for a birthday dinner at his Grandma's house on Saturday.

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy birthday, Steve!

2009-02-22T15:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Steve's birthday. That's Cody's Dad. Their family came up for dinner so that I could under cook our rib eye roast. Fabulous. Luckily, it didn't moo at us...

He was lucky enough to get to eat off of the birthday plate.

I worked for a good chunk of the day on the following masterpiece:

Yum. A triple-layer chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. Be sure to check out the recipe. I thought it was delicious, but I might be a little biased.

Thanks for my cake carrier, Karen! It came in handy...

#69 -- Agua

2009-02-20T10:14:00.001-08:00

So, I realize drinking only water for a week isn't really that hard. And when I created this list, it would have been a piece of cake. But now, I work in a place that (very generously) give us unlimited access to the pop fountain. And, I have found, that I can't seem to stay away from it if it's free and just in the next
room.

This week I decided I needed to start adjusting my caffeine addictions. All week long, I have avoided the Diet Dr. Pepper and have opted for water. I've done pretty well, I must say. I have been a little tired this week but I'm sure that cannot be blamed on my lack of carbonated beverages.

From now on, I plan to limit myself to only a few a week. I haven't set up the specifics yet, but plan to do that before Monday morning.

Flashback Friday

2009-02-20T07:28:00.000-08:00

This picture is nothing to write home about, but Friday has almost come and gone and I needed to get my post up!

We went to D.C. when we were young and got to see some really neat stuff. We also met Mr. and Mrs. George Bush. We're so cool.

Also, Cody has an interview tomorrow morning in Newton. I've been quizzing him tonight and he seems very prepared. Wish him luck!

#24 -- Just call me Betty Crocker

2009-02-19T18:21:00.000-08:00

Tonight I baked a blackberry pie. From scratch. All the way from scratch.

Cody helped me by making sure the dough was well mixed. And now I have officially used my rolling pin once.

Then I put the blackberry/sugar/flour mixture in and folded the crust in toward the middle...

After 30 minutes of baking time, voila! Cody was less than impressed, as is obvious by the picture below. But he claims it was just the sweetness of the blackberries that caused his face to distort the way it did.

Anyway, my 101 didn't say it had to taste good. Victory is mine. At least as far as #24 goes...

#79

2009-02-18T09:16:00.000-08:00

Tickets: Booked.
Tourist attractions: Being researched.
Excitement level: High.
Countdown: Six weeks.

Flashback Friday!

2009-02-13T05:47:00.001-08:00

Ah, the days of high school prom. We had just started dating. I had just done $1,600 of damage to his car. Somehow, he didn't manage to dump me. Well, at least not for another five months or so...

With Valentine's Day tomorrow (and with us having no Valentine's Day pictures) this seemed appropriate. Tomorrow night is our Valentine's Dinner at the church and I volunteered my services as the photographer, so look forward to a great post on that coming soon!

And, it seems I've taken a hiatus from my 101...but I plan to cross a big one off today so I will have posts on some of my updates soon!

Old Macdonald had a farm...

2009-02-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

My trips to and from work are rather eventful. Why? Because I get to see lots of interesting animals. Exhibit #1 -- miniature horses. And yes, Whitney, I'm sure they're not just ponies...

And up until about a week ago (which I will explain next), this was my favorite animal. I use to think I wanted a goat, but now, I'm all about this donkey.

And, as previously stated, below is my new favorite animal. The picture is pretty dark and fuzzy but yes, it's a peacock. Who knew people kept these things as pets??

I saw him for the first time last Thursday. Sunday as we drove to church, Cody and I were staring into the yard looking for him (Cody needed to see it so that he didn't think I was crazy), as we finally gave up and decided to be safe drivers and look back at the road, we almost committed peacock homicide. There were not one, but FIVE peacocks walking across the road. Yowza. I screamed...at the top of my lungs. Not because I was scared, but because I was excited. Cody admitted to questioning who it was he actually married. So today they were in the front yard and I pulled over to take some pics. I stayed in the car, though, for fear that they might take flight and hop the fence and say, I don't know...attack me.

There are also sheep, horses and cows...but really, after a peacock, they don't hold a candle. The only thing that will come close is that I think there is a llama in the same yard as the miniature horses. I plan to get his picture soon.

Flashback Friday

2009-02-06T06:05:00.001-08:00

I'm getting ready to take off for KC to man our booth at the golf show. So, in keeping with a sports theme...enjoy!

Middle school cross country...

Showing off his sweet stance...and sweet medal.

Flashback Friday!

2009-01-30T05:47:00.000-08:00

I love Fridays.

I decided to spare Cody any humiliation this week (in part, because I hardly have any pictures of him) and I'm sure he'll be very grateful. Not that he ever looks at this thing.

Below is a picture of me. Sophomore year if I remember correctly, and believe me, with that hair it is hard to forget.

It was a Friday night. Spring time. I decided to highlight my hair...on my own. That was my second mistake (with one before and many more to follow).

After my hair had been pulled and twisted through this very thin plastic cap, I waited. And I waited. Well, evidently I waited a little too long for people with (cue dramatic music)...permed hair (mistake number one). It turned out SO blonde, in fact, that some parts looked white. Gross.

Karen and Justin went with me on a late-night run to Dillons for another box of dye (I wore a hooded sweatshirt). My thoughts, dye it all back brown and surely that will even out the color. It kind of worked. But by the next morning it felt like straw and was a little bit...gray. Needless to say, we went directly to a professional for some deep conditioning and my third hair color in a span of less than 24 hours. My hair will never be the same.

It had a hint of red to it...but under florescent lighting it definitely looked green. The permed hair definitely didn't help my cause.

Enjoy!

Last Weekend

2009-01-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

We went to Winfield for part of last weekend. Cody's little brother had a basketball game and my home church had a Ladies' Day that I wanted to attend. It was a good weekend and here are some of the pictures I took. I'm trying really hard to remember to bring my nice new (to me) camera and to TAKE PICTURES!

Cody and his brothers introduced Grandma and Grandpa Watt to YouTube. Here, they are watching some "funniest video you will ever see about cats." This family loves cats so they get a real kick out of them swinging around on ceiling fans, and falling off of couches...

And here is one of those fabulous cats, Tux, caught taking a....cat nap.

We played Chinese checkers! Thanks goes to Karen and Justin for making the board for us for Christmas...

And this picture isn't from the past weekend, but rather...today! There were so many other things I deemed "picture worthy" today but didn't have my camera with me. So this is out in front of our Dupe.

Oh I wish...

2009-01-24T21:01:00.000-08:00

...I were an Oscar Meyer weiner.

I would just like to make mention of the fact that I've seen the Oscar Meyer weiner mobile twice within the past week. Once in Newton and tonight at a hotel parking lot in Wichita. Cody wouldn't turn around tonight for me to take a picture, unfortunately. But here's one from the web:

I'm pretty sure that until now I had never seen this thing in person...and twice in one week??!! My camera will be ready for next time...

Flashback Friday!

2009-01-23T05:45:00.001-08:00

The hair, the glasses, the completely denim outfit...we're pretty much the total package. I'm even showing a little shoulder. Bow-chicka-wow-wow...

This is Cody and one of his younger brothers, also with the matching outfits. They were all lucky enough to not have glasses or contacts but they have cowlicks. I'm not sure which is worse.

P.S. -- The cowlick still curses Cody to this day. I'll find a high school picture of him and his long hair and you will quickly realize why he now keeps it short.

Old Lang Sign

2009-01-22T18:25:00.000-08:00

These pictures are incredibly old....well, less than a month old. Now that we're in the Wichita area, we've been able to reunite with some old friends from Hays. New Year's Eve we were able to spend the evening with them playing games, the Wii and trying desperately to stay awake...

Oh, and don't forget the Welch's sparkling grape juice!

Who doesn't love this stuff?? It's the best!!

A nice day!

2009-01-22T10:52:00.001-08:00

Wow! This week has been incredible, at least as far as the weather goes.

Wednesday I wanted to go for a jog...but Cody said his feet were too cold so he didn't want to go outside. Instead, I participated in the "Baking Day" hosted by MoneySavingMom. I made whole wheat waffles, both regular and some with chocolate chips! I also got some meat out dethaw for meatballs. Those will have to be made this weekend, though.

But Thursday we did go outside. I convinced Cody to go with me on a walk around the park by our house. He humored me, but only for a little while so that I could take my new camera out and play around a little. Then we had to drop the camera back off at the house so that we could jog. It was fabulous out...but I'm pretty sure the last time that we went for a run was in August, so we didn't go too far.

Here are two of the pictures that I took. Nothing too special, but enjoy!

And here's Cody. He didn't want to look at the camera. And I took this while moving, so it's not too good but I like it because you can see him smiling.

It's already Friday?

2009-01-16T05:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm going to need to come up with another "weekly" post so that my blog isn't filled with Flashback Fridays. I'll work on that, but in the meantime, enjoy these photos...

I'm not sure if you've seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button just yet...but I'm thinking I could pass as the lead character.

Cody was a little upset last week with my choice of picture for him. Hopefully this one will appease him...

Flashback Friday!

2009-01-08T16:33:00.000-08:00

Today, I will be going back in time. Not only for my portion of Flashback Friday, but also for Cody's. Enjoy. I know you will.

Enter Cody Steven Witte. Cute face, "what-were-they-thinking" hair and a mesh undershirt defined this stage of his life.

As for me...(food still defines my life) I realize these two pictures are pretty similar, but I just loved them both.

See ya next Friday!

Mr. Witte Goes to School

2009-01-07T10:58:00.000-08:00

Cody started student teaching this week! Now, we count down until he can actually get paid to do this. I long for that day...

Anyway, no funny stories to tell yet. For now, he is just the creepy guy who stands in the corner and observes. He doesn't think that most students even know what he's there for.

In other news, with Cody getting up at 6:15 every morning, I'm lacking in sleep. Granted we go to bed around 10 p.m., I don't get much (if any) sleep after he gets up. Once my work hours shift a little earlier, it won't be so bad.

My job is going well so far. I'm enjoying the golf course and am working on getting my feet wet. If you or anyone you know is wanting to schedule a golf tournament or book a reception/meeting site, Sand Creek Station golf course will be a perfect fit!

Flashback Friday!

2009-01-02T16:33:00.000-08:00

So, I've been wanting to start a new weekly post for awhile now...Flashback Friday. Well, what better time to start than the first Friday of 2009?

Here goes...

This picture is probably from 1986. Love it. That's my sister, Karen, on the left and I'm the one on the right.

This is just the beginning of Flashback Friday. Prepare yourself for more funny and embarrassing pictures. I think that YOU should participate in the fun, too! If you post your own Flashback Friday, leave a comment for me so that I can be sure to check yours out.

Exploring Nashville

2008-12-29T19:09:00.000-08:00

I forgot to add this to the previous post so it has ended up in this one. I learned something while with my grandparents this past week: Apple pie and cheddar cheese is a sort of...delicacy...in the South. I called his bluff and Poppa stood his ground. They unfortunately didn't have the "proper" type of cheese, it should be a thick slice of sharp cheddar cheese...sliced cheese worked for our demonstration.

Gross. But he's my Poppa...so I love him anyway.

Now prepare yourself for posting overload. This is just the beginning (well, actually the end) of my posts. I had a lot of catching up to do...

I thought I would break my Christmas post up just a little bit by making a separate post for our afternoon in Nashville.

These pictures were taken at the Parthenon. If only I could figure out how to rotate pictures in this blog...a classic shot of The Creep.

Karen, Justin and Cody reaching around one of the pillars...

You're a tiger!

Senior pics!

We also drove down Music Row on 16th Avenue. This was the only picture I took...

We did some shopping at the Opry Mills mall and then drove by the Grand Ole Opry. If we hadn't had plans for that evening with our family, we would have definitely hit up that evening's show: Keith Urban, Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough.

Justin relaxed and watched a football game projected on the wall.

And we visited the home of Andrew Jackson, the Hermitage. We didn't actually go through the tour...or get a clear shot of his actual home...but we looked at some photos of it in the gift shop. This would have been an excellent picture if the focus wouldn't have been just a smidge off.

Christmas in TN and more 101 in 1001

2008-12-29T18:04:00.000-08:00

Our adventure began Tuesday when we drove to KC to pick up Karen and Justin. We were met with the best of travel conditions...a complete standstill.

We made in to Tennessee around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday. You're probably thinking we went straight to bed. You're wrong. Instead, Nana decided that she would cook us breakfast so that we wouldn't have to wake up for it. Nothing like eggs, bacon and biscuits at 3 in the morning...

It was also at this time that Karen and I learned to make gravy (#19 on my list). I learned it's pretty much a guessing game (oh good, that's my favorite kind of recipe...one that's not a recipe at all). I plan to make some on my own soon.

We talked Dad into letting us open presents from our immediate family on Christmas Eve. Our reasons were fourfold...but I think only one of them was actually legit. (Keep in mind the rest of these pictures were taken with my new camera. I still have some work to do to master actually having to manually focus instead of the camera doing it for me....)

We also had Nana and Poppa open our gifts to them. I put together a photobook with pictures of the six cousins with our grandparents. It was a hit.

Below is Mom opening Karen's gift, a recipe book with all of Meemaw's recipes. This was also my gift from Karen, completing number 13 of my 101 list!

We also decided to do stocking for each other this year. No big items, but everyone would bring a couple of little gifts for each person. It turned out to be pretty fun!

One of Cody's gifts...ear warmers.

This Christmas was an especially good one in that all six cousins (and two husbands) all made it to Nana and Poppa's. This hasn't happened since, I believe, my senior year of high school. It was great to see everyone, to eat and catch up and to open the gifts we got for each other. Below is Cody blushing...luckily Nana is known for wrapping in deceiving ways.

She's also known for her detail in wrapping...I love it!

This family knows how to snack. If only I wasn't sick most of the time I was there. I am sure I would have been able to enjoy the snack area a lot more than I did.

Nana's infamous party mix...

#15 -- Buy a camera

2008-12-29T17:53:00.000-08:00

I did it. Enough with all the talk, finally some action.

My new baby is a Nikon D80. A friend of mine found it on Craigslist for me...and I'm very excited. All but the first couple of pictures from my Christmas post will be with the new (to me) Nikon.

#11 -- Move

2008-12-29T17:28:00.000-08:00

We are officially moved in to our new duplex (or what I like to call The Dupe) in Valley Center. It's a very nice place. The rooms are all a bit smaller (except for the kitchen) but fortunately we have a full basement where we can store everything we don't know what to do with. Here are some pictures:

Almost there!

2008-12-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

After today, I have three days left at my current job. Three days? Wow!

As of right now, our plan is to move next Wednesday or Thursday. I don't know why it matters, though. It's not like we have a place to move into! After searching, searching and searching some more...we are lost.

(almost) All packed up with no where but my parent's basement to go...