New Car!!

As many know, we have been on the search for a new car the past two weeks. It's been a little stressful  trying to find something that would fit our budget and meet our standards at the same time. With that being said, we are so excited about our new purchase! This was by far our biggest decision together yet, and we are feeling good. We are so thankful to both our families and Matt Martinez for all of their support and advice during this process. After a long day of driving to Fort Worth from College Station, driving around town to find a car, we finally found it at our last stop. This is not a place we had planned on visiting, but we sure are glad we stopped! Here it is...!!

Pearlized gray 2008 Ford Escape!

 The proudest new owners!

Even though we had to go back to College Station the same day (more driving!), we were glad to be able to stay a while longer for a warm bowl of chicken chili with my parents and grandparents, and catch some of the Aggie football game. Bring on the next big decision...!

Can you say...homemade? I went to a girls craft night Friday, and we made fall wreaths out of festive napkins and grapevine wreaths. Let me just preface this by saying I had no idea what a grapevine wreath was. On my lunch break Friday I ran to Wal Mart and bought the only wreath they had...an undecorated Christmas wreath. I thought surely if this is all they have, then this must be what I need. Wrong! You can't turn Christmas into fall. My Sunday school director generously gave the clueless girl her extra. Thank you!
This is not perfect, but I was impressed with myself for trying.

We also made magnets! 

Just a little fall fun.
Pumpkin bread and a new fall candle are making this dreary Sunday little cozier!

The Fragrance of Fall

Here's the difference between the way girls and guys think...

While watching the rain over the weekend and enjoying the cool fall weather:

Me: Doesn't this weather just make you want something pumpkin??

Kyle: Why didn't we buy a pumpkin at the grocery store?

Me: No, like pumpkin bread or Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. Mmm, or something apple...

Kyle: I can go cut you an apple in the kitchen.

Me: No, like apple pie or apple crisp... that warm cinnamon apple goodness that fills your house with the fragrance of fall.

We obviously have different perspectives on our feel goods for this season. Nonetheless, fall has officially arrived, and we are enjoying soaking up this wonderful weather. I love the smells of spice in the fall, decorations, leaves changing colors, and football!

This past weekend Kyle and I went to our first Aggie football game of the season to watch A&M beat Arkansas in the rain. There were lot's of great highlights from this game! 1)Sweet revenge after losing to those Razorbacks three years in a row in Arlington, 2) Great friends and old roommates, Katie and Chelsea,  came in town for the game and we met for dinner after, 3) Kyle was showcased in a video clip on the jumbotron for his work as a grad student in the animal science department and for the scholarship he is receiving through an Aggie who is generously giving back. We appreciate him!!

Just an update to what is going on with here with us as we bring in this fall season. To hit the major points, we are currently looking for a car. This is NOT a fun process for me! Almost a month ago Kyle and I were in a wreck (not our fault) in the intersection of Texas and University leaving my car totaled. Here's a picture of the scene that night. The damage may not seem too bad (my car on bottom), but the air bags deployed, which made the car too expensive to repair...

So many other things could have gone far worse, but we are so thankful for our God looking after us that night. Looking for a car can't be that bad in the grand scheme of things, but when you don't plan on making that purchase, it puts on the pressure.
Kyle is deep into his project for his masters' degree, and things are going really well for him, just early mornings through November. He is doing a great job! Last night he went to spend the night with the steers for 'round the clock sampling.

The last big thing for us this fall is I got a job as a research assistant for Texas A&M Transportation Institute. I know, I know, you are thinking transportation?! Actually, the research we are doing is extremely interesting and applies to the future of the American economy and the forms of transportation we will see implemented. I am in my second week, and am trying to beat the steep learning curve I stepped into when I walked in to the office. Taking each day in stride.

That's how we do things in our home, we take each day in stride. We are into our fifth month of marriage and figuring things out together each day, learning together and growing together. 

Love Makes the World Go 'Round

I married my best friend and husband almost four months ago (wow how time has flown already!), and I thought it would be fun for us to document our journey of our first year of marriage. Better late than never! No one said this would be easy, but here we are, learning from each other, living life and every season it brings, and loving daily. That's something worth writing down! Together we are growing closer as a couple and individually through every change and challenge that may come our way. I am so blessed to be able to spend these times with Kyle, who is brilliant (yes, brilliant), witty, oh so caring, a hard worker, and 100% Aggie through and through. Gee, I'm a lucky girl! What's not to love!

Ahhh, love!

I am excited to post when I can. I think I am surprising myself that I am even going to attempt to keep a blog. I am the last to open up, keep a journal, show and share emotion. In these past four months I have had time to reflect on myself and the rich life I have lived, have learned a lot about who I am, and one thing I have decided to do is step outside the box. Try something new, challenge myself. So, I might as well jump in and give it a try. Sink or swim, right?  Here we go...