Ski Bums

Well, as always, Colorado proved to be fun, relaxing, stressful and beautiful all in one (or rather, four) days.

Saturday, we woke up early, traded Valentine's Day cards and candy, ate some cinnamon rolls, loaded up the VW and headed to the airport. This past year, we've flown American and Southwest and this time opted for United Airlines because they offered the cheapest ticket. Their Economy Plus seating is the BOMB! An extra 5 inches of leg room? Sign. Me. Up. Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful flight from sea level to the mile-high city. We spent the rest of the day renting our Subaru Outback station wagon, complete with heated leather seats and dual climate control settings (a must-have for the next car we purchase), buying lift tickets, finding the condo, meeting up with Steven and Tricia, grocery shopping and eating. Carbed up with some pasta for the upcoming days.

It snowed both Saturday and Sunday nights so the snow conditions on the mountains were glorious. It was also sunny both days, which made the 20* weather tolerable. I must say that I was the least experienced skiier of the four of us and it was really nice for my fellow travelers to be patient with me taking 15 minutes to get down the mountain to their 5.

Monday was much better since I'd gotten back into the groove of how to work my skis. You should ask Brad what happened on our next-to-last run before lunch. The 40-year old man yelling at me was a less than desirable end to a really good ski day.

And nevermind the fact that we missed our flight home because we lost track of time elsewhere. Luckily, UA had a later flight to Houston and we made it back home around midnight.

We had a blast and have already started planning for next year. Any takers? :)

P.S. The picture above was taken from the ground (thanks, Brad) and is NOT a very large pine tree. It is, in fact, a very large cell tower at the top of one of the peaks made to LOOK like a very large pine tree.

Life, Love and Learning to Adjust

Lately...

LIFE:

Brad is b-u-s-y at work. He's consistently done >60 hours of work every week this year, with last week's total reaching 80+. On top of that, he's going to physics two nights a week and also does some work for online government. Needless to say, he's exhausted and looks forward to the weekend more than anyone else I know. Of course, he deserves it more than anyone else I know.
Me? Well, I need a hobby. After spending the majority of my free time planning the wedding last year, I've got a bit more of it on my hands. I'm still working a little overtime, and have considered picking up another shift every pay period. However, I don't really like my job THAT much! It's wonderful, but we all need a break. So instead, perhaps I'll finish at least one of the three scrapbooks that have been started and are now collecting dust on a book shelf...


LOVE:

Brad and I decided to forego the highly commercialized Valentine's Day that we've participated in the past two years. First VD together = Houston's Restaurant. Last year = Capital Grille. While the food was great and the atmosphere was romantic, this year trumps all. Instead of dining with a hundred other couples and choosing food off a fixed menu, we flew to Colorado and spent an extended weekend skiing with some friends.

I'll fill you in our the daily details of the trip in a later post. For now, just know that the time away from normalcy was MUCH needed (see above on "Life" for Brad) and was spent with a great couple of sweet people.


LEARNING to ADJUST:

Some things I've learned since living with a boy, ahem, man:

1. When making the bed, always give husband 2-3 inches more sheet length than my own side. Apparently, I steal the covers. This is evidenced by the fact that in a corner on Brad's side of the bed are two blankets "just in case" he gets cold.

2. When folding laundry, I've learned Brad's "Corps Days" way of folding t-shirts. Instead of being folded in half, then in half again like I've always done, his shirts are done in a more intricate way such that each one become a rectangular lump of cotton measuring 6 inches by 4 inches.

3. Brad's [almost] as neat and tidy as I am. Despite the dishes not always making it into the dishwasher or the inevitable presence of dirty clothes next to the dresser, he's been found to clear clutter from the cabinets and putting them in nice, neat, organized stacks of stuff. His desk and file folders are much more tidy than mine.

4. "Boy" shows aren't all that bad. I've learned a bit from seeing "Modern Marvels", "How It's Made" and other various history and discovery channel specials. And I've learned to enjoy them. Almost as much as he enjoys "Ace of Cakes", "Jon and Kate Plus 8" and "Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice" :)

5. He makes a better cook than I do. So I let him and stick to baking!

6. We balance each other out. And that's why we fit so well together.

A Good Day

What exactly defines a good day in the life of Megan?

1030 -- roll out of bed. this is when being a nurse ROCKS!

1045-1300 -- eat breakfast, check email, read updated blogs, check Facebook, a few chores (not too many or this ruins the good day)

1300 -- shower

1400-1600 -- run errands leisurely. no time restraints = tolerable errand-running

1600 -- get home. check mail to find two new magazines and some personal mail.

1600-1700 -- do something that requires creative juices

1715 -- brad is home!!!

1730-1815 -- run 4 miles. that's right, folks, i made it FOUR MILES during our run today!!!

1815-2130 -- cook dinner, pour a glass of wine, chit chat with my hubby, watch my favorite tv shows

2130 -- get ready for bed and snooze :)

Random Thoughts v. 2

Some of these were seen on my Facebook's version of "25 Things About Me". Some are new.

1. I'm picky about the way my groceries are bagged. I mean, milk jug with bananas? Cans of Rotel with bread? Yogurt with cleaning supplies? C'mon, people!

2. I believe in miracles. They happen every day in the deep, dark dungeon that is the PICU. Trust me, no doctor could do some of the things that come from my place of work.

3. Brad is simply perfect for me. End of discussion.

4. I want kids one day. One boy, one girl, in that order and perfect little angels. ;) Actually, I just pray that God will bless us with healthy children.

5. I would love to live some place that actually saw four seasons. 70-degree weather in January is for the birds.

6. I love spending time around other people, but I'm not really that good at creating conversation. So really, I just like to hear how other people's lives are going.

7. My secret dream job would be an event planner. Weddings, parties, showers, etc. How fun!

8. Europe before 30.

9. Marathon before 30.

10. I have no will power if there are sweets within a 100 foot radius of me.

11. I like to think I'm crafty, but really, I just like crafty things. Especially when other people make them.

12. To be so Type A, I think I'm ADD. That's why I'm an ICU nurse -- multi-tasker!

13. I used to have a things with feet. Nobody could touch mine. If you ask Brad, he'd tell you that I now have a thing with my stomach.

14. One of my favorite things to do is: pour myself a glass of red wine, help Brad cook dinner, sit down and eat that dinner with no distractions, then go grab something sweet and cuddle up in front of the TV.

15. One of my other favorite things to on Sundays is to drive around the ritzy neighborhoods of Houston, look at the gaudy houses and wonder what kind of lives the people who live in them lead.

16. I married my very best friend and he loves me just the way I am...moody or not...patient or not...good cook or not.

Random Ramblings

1. I have always had a problem with blushing when put on the spot. Even better? Blushing on command. Thanks to Dr. Strobel, there are many times during rounds when: a. the chicken dance is brought up or; b. he turns to me and says, "Megan, blush.......NOW!" And I do it. Embarassing? Yes. I just call it the utmost form of respect for my superior.

2. You can't always take things literally. Brad and I were cooking a few nights ago and I was warming tortillas in a skillet. He says, "Real Mexicans heat them directly on the burner." So, in trying my best to be authentic in our Mexican food cooking, I put the torilla on the burner. Result? A tortilla that started smoking and ended up with a nice charred set of concentric circles on it.

3. I'm not perfect. Shocker, huh? I am completely type A and love things to be in complete order. I have a daily morning routine and I would honestly rather wake up 15 minutes early to perform that routine than sleep in and grab breakfast on the go. The attempt to be perfect, however, bites me in the bum often. Because when you try to reach perfection, you're let down much to often. I should probably try and lower some of my standards or expectations and then the let down wouldn't hurt as badly. But is that fair? I don't know. I'm learning as I go.

4. I have dreams. Dreams that may never be fulfilled. I dream for a really good camera so that one day I might take really good pictures. I dream of becoming a mom. A mom of two kids, one boy, one girl and that those children will be perfect little angels. I dream of having time to work, play, finish my scrapbooks and raise my children without being exhausted. I dream of owning our own house. One that has a huge kitchen, cozy fireplace, lots of land and (these are per Brad) two garages -- one to park our Maserati in, the other to "build stuff -- and an underground wine cellar.

New Year's Resolutions

Well, the new year is in full swing and because you're supposed to make resolutions, here they are:

1. Be less busy. Last year, I honestly think we had a total of THREE weekends when I was off work and we had NOWHERE to be. We spent a lot of time in the car traveling to some place to plan the wedding, visit family, watch football, etc. Either way, we spent that time together, but it was exhausting for us both. So, this year? More free weekends. But don't plan any visits to see us anytime soon because our weekends are full through February ;)

2. Run more. Brad has always trumped me here, but the plan is for me to join him everyday I'm off. So far, not too shabby. Now that I have running shoes that actually fit, I'm doing better. Did I tell you that the shoe "expert" fit me into an 11.5?!?! I thought I was going to cry when I bought the pair of 11s. But a half size even larger?!? Expert, schmexpert. I'm up to [almost] three miles without too many issues. I'm still battling the self-diagnosed exercise-induced asthma attacks when my lungs decide to fail me, but my inhaler has come in handy. The GOAL: 10K in February; half-marathon before the year ends.

3. More Bible study. We started a Nearlywed/Newlywed Sunday School at church last year that is intended to be a one-year study/commitment. We've already attender for 14 months, but missed about half of the lessons because, well, see number 1. I've also started a weekly women's study at the church and am really focused on being the best God-honoring wife I can be. Not as easy as one would think.

4. Pay off debt. Ideally, we would like to be debt-free by the end of the year. Realistically, we will hope to pay off half our debt. Brad and I are both VERY blessed with good-paying jobs and are learning how to spend it appropriately. 10% to savings, 10% to the Church and the rest to live and pay Sallie Mae.

We love being married, but I think as many couples do, we are learning things about ourselves and each other we never knew before. As our Bible study teacher said last week, we have need buckets that we're expecting our new mate to fill and fill and fill until it's spilling over. These expectations are not met and we begin the "poor, pitiful me that needs more from him/her" attitude that can become detrimental to a marriage. Instead of seeing our mate as the cup to fill our bucket, we should see him/her as the sponge that squeezes itself dry (until it recharges) trying to put some drops of water into the bucket. And instead of asking them to squeeze a little bit harder next time, we should be thankful that they're squeezing at all. Instead of focusing on our needs being completely met by some imperfect human, we need to focus on the One that can meet our needs His way and not the way we think they should be met. So the last goal is to grow stronger together in the arms of a God that knows us better than we will ever know ourselves.

Blessings to you in 2009!
B&M

Happy 2009!

Well, we made it through a crazy and exciting year in 2008. Around the time of New Year's, you hear so much about things people want to change, resolutions they've made (and will abandon by March) and goals that they have. However, you never really hear much about the year that just went by. So, my favorite things of 2008?

JANUARY

My return to the slopes...

We also took engagement pictures and some really awesome family pictures with the Littekens!

FEBRUARY

Technically, I found it in January, but I bought my wedding dress in the month of love!

MARCH

Rodeo fun with the girls (and boys)!

APRIL

(No pictures here, but we celebrated Brad's last birthday in his 20s ;))

MAY

Breanna, my second neice, was born!

JUNE

We had so much fun at our engagement party hosted by the Duncans and Fittses. I also was able to go on Beach Retreat as a volunteer nurse with SBC. Brad and I enjoyed some time with old friends at Leslie and Travis's wedding, too!

JULY

(Again, no pictures, but we did a LOT of traveling around Texas and registering for the wedding)

AUGUST

DENVER! And of course, the start of an abysmal football season.

SEPTEMBER

The start of our wedding showers! And more crappy football.

OCTOBER

More showers and football, but more importantly, Callum Ray Taylor was introduced to the world!

NOVEMBER
(This is when we actually met Cal)

Can't forget about Thanksgiving with the Fischers and the last few days before the "I Do"s

DECEMBER

Do I really have to say it? We got MARRIED!!!

Don't forget NYC and spending time with BOTH families for Christmas!

So yes, God was SO good to us in 2008. We were blessed with new members of each family, fun times with friends, making of new friends, plenty of safe travel all over the state and country and the sacred covenant of being united in His love for the rest of our lives! We loved every minute of it and can't wait to see what 2009 has in store!