2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

Kendall Jane

Our Wedding 

New Year's Eve

of

Texas Hold 'Em & Tapas

We spent a relaxing Christmas holiday in our hometown with our families and old friends.

Our Small Group Christmas Supper

Byron's Graduation

Our good friend Byron graduated from PA School. Yeah!!! Now, together he and Je can eat Costco Pizza, bake lots of bread and visit the Chick-Fil-A drive through several times to use the coupons for free sandwiches! Congratulations!

Trail of Lights Festival

To help get us all into the holiday spirit, we walked through the Trail of Lights with Byron and Je to see the glowing light displays.

The Great Outdoors

With dear friends, we camped under the stars and enjoyed the fresh, cool air.  We were also able to celebrate Dena's 30th birthday together.  Of course, we didn't leave home with out heaters, hot water dispensers, ribeye shish-kabobs, a big pot of tasty chili and smores to enjoy by the campfire :)

Our Thanksgiving Holiday

Tyler turns 2!

We cheered on Alan, Vanessa, Joe, Grace & Winston at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k to increase breast cancer awareness and research.

Happy fall birthdays celebrated with Brian's Dad, Danny,  Leslie, Marcus and Carita. And Byron hits the big 30!

This November, we celebrated the blessing of friends and family at a Thanksgiving Potluck where everyone brought a delicious dish to share.

Happy birthday to Jaime Chloe! Born October 3^rd to Jerry, Jessica and big brother Jayden.

You know Fall has arrived when football is in the air.  We rejoiced in the victories of Tiffany and her IM football team as they captured the championship title and of the Horns as they beat KU 66-14.  Hook 'Em!

Touring the Northeast

This October, we took our first trip with friends Joe and Grace.  Together we visited northwest Connecticut, the lower Hudson Valley in New York (to see Char & Sherman), Boston and Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. We shared a wonderful time peeping at vibrant foliage, learning about America's rich history, delighting in hearty meals and creating cherished experiences.

Doris & Hsin

~ October 1, 2005 ~

Rehearsal day ~ Wedding day

Bachelorette Weekend ~ Bridal Shower

Kara's 1st Birthday

~ September 23, 2005 ~

Joe's 30th Birthday

We help our friend, Joe, celebrate his big birthday on a beautiful day at the lake.

The Newest Additions to Our Extended Families

Congratulations to our cousins Melissa and Don on the birth of their second child, Alicia, on August 13^th and to our cousins Marcus and Alex on the birth of their third child, Alessi, on August 24^th.

Aunt Theresa

1929 ~ 2005

Yee-haw!

Joey & Jenni are married in true Texas style at the Salt Lick with a simple, country wedding.

~ September 4, 2005 ~

We also celebrated with them at their shower and Brian at Joey's bachelor party.

Wild Times with the Kids

[ Kelsey, Caleb & Tyler ]

Announcing the birth of Callie Christina  on August 30th.  Congratulations to Steve, Pat and big sister CJ.

We send-off Jean back to school in Chicago.

We'll miss you!

A Special Engagement

James & Karen were engaged in Boston, then friends and family congratulate them back home.

Jenny & Jerry's Wedding

~ June 26, 2005 ~

The Fourth of July

on Florida's Emerald Coast

This was a very special trip we took with good friends to the Florida panhandle (post-shark attacks and pre-hurricane) for blue-green water, sugar white sand and sure-to-be lasting memories. We had a great time cooking together, relaxing on the beach and laughing at stories that never get old.

Madison & DJ's

Red Egg Party

Rini & Albert's Farewell

Baby Dixon, Jr. and Baby Madison enter the world on June 7^th!Congratulations to mom and dad, Mimi & Dixon.

~

Baby Kara ~ 9 months old

Summer Musical in the Park

Toni & Tommy's Wedding

~ May 30, 2005 ~

Visiting the Hill Country with our Family

This June, we were so fortunate to spend a wonderful time at home and in the hill country with all our parents, Jennifer's grandmother, Tiffany, James, our niece Kelsey and nephews Caleb and Tyler. We picked peaches, shopped along Main Street and strolled in Fredericksburg.

Our friends Albert (law) and James (engineering) graduate this year from the University of Texas.  Congrats, guys!

Our small group enjoys the Salt Lick together marking Albert and Jocelin's first visit.

Happy Birthday Dear Fri-ends, Happy Birthday To You

This spring, we celebrated Rini's birthday with crawfish and our new small group and cheered on James as he marked another year of life at Rudy's BBQ and Gas Station. Our friend Je also gave us a reason to celebrate with a big meal and yummy carrot cake. Winston turns 30! with lots of steak and good friends. Ling and Rachel celebrate on Sixth Street.

Caleb's Big Day

~ April 23, 2005 ~

Caleb turns FIVE!

Baby Kara ~ 7 months

Barcelona

In March, we visited Europe beginning with a family reunion in Barcelona. Jennifer's sister, Tiffany, was studying abroad so a trip was due. Barcelona was a new experience for us all, but it was fantastic to have Tiff as a tour guide. The new sights, sounds and tastes were all delicious and fun, especially as we enjoyed them together.

~

Throughout our trip we savored many new flavors. To record these culinary adventures we kept a food journal to help us recall it all.

Provence ~ Paris ~ Versailles

From Spain, we traveled by train to Montpellier where we rented a car to explore Provence (first half, second half) through back roads and where trains can not travel. It was friendly and relaxed under the Provencal sun where every day is a Saturday.

Ah, the city of love (as Brian likes to call it.) The pace of Paris required an adjustment, but after every turn we were rewarded with another monument, great museum, history lesson or crepe stand calling our name. One evening we were fortunate to attend a classical concert in the upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle, the most beautiful chapel in the world. We can't wait to go back!

One afternoon we day-tripped to beautiful Versailles. The gardens were elegant and the weather pleasant for a walk.

Venice ~ Cinque Terre ~ Florence

Even for a sinking city, Venice is still living out her glory. The day we arrived a marathon was taking place filling the jam-packed finish at San Marcos Square with athletes, supporters and tourists.

The views in Cinque Terre, the Italian Riviera, were spectacular, especially at dusk when colors are dazingly vibrant. We hiked along the coast through the five villages that make up CT then treated ourselves to yummy seafood and amazing focaccia.

Florence was a short stop for us, but we still managed to enjoy a lot of gelato and tried lots of new flavors. Michelangelo's David (for us a highlight of the city) stood gracefully and was so artfully crafted out of marble. Then, more gelato!

Rome ~ Pompeii ~ Naples

Rome was packed with people who journeyed to see Pope John Paul II one last time as well as those who just happen to be in town.  It was the ultimate Vatican experience to attend the Pope's funeral in St. Peters Square.  We also visited Rome's many historical sites such as the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palantine Hill, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Borghese Gallery and Gardens, several Piazza's and of course the Trevi Fountain.

Pompeii exceeded our expectations as a very well-preserved city with expressive molds of past residents who were caught by surprise of the eruption.  Our visit to Naples, birthplace of pizza, included tracking down a famous pizzeria and trying out their unique, clam-shaped pastry, the sfogliatella.

Also in February, we visited Maisy and her parents Marla and Russell, Brian's cousin.  Those bright eyes and curly hair are just so enchanting!

Kelsey, Caleb, Tyler & Kara are  so much fun to play with. We enjoy seeing them grow. Kara just loves to smile when you look at her :) Kelsey is a budding shutterbug as you can see in most of these pictures that she snapped.

Charlotte Comes to Visit

We shared a wonderful reunion of college mates this February when Charlotte came to town. The theme for the weekend was catching up with old friends and eating at our past hangouts.

Baby Fun in January

Introducing Garrett Hill (son of Hoyt and Caroline) and Callie Brown (daughter of Dave and Meg). Also, a night of fun and games with our nieces and nephews.

With many baby showers being held for friends and family (and many more to come), Jennifer wanted to give a more personal gift so she began sewing pieces for the parents and babies-to-be. Knowing there had to be others who would also want to give unique baby gifts handmade with care, she has started her own company named Billy & Jane.

She sews baby bibs, burp cloths and blankets that are functional yet very stylish with each style named after a special baby in our lives. Starting up a small business has been a challenging learning experience as she leaves the corporate world and begins her career as an entrepreneur. Launch parties were held last December in Houston and Austin to commemorate this new beginning.

www.BillyandJane.com

Our Far East Adventure

After traveling for about a day, we finally arrived at our destination of Thailand. There, we experienced many interesting and unusual sites. By God's grace, we left the country two days before the tsunami hit the region. This was our first overseas trip with Jennifer's whole family. It was also our first trip to Vietnam where we were astounded at how many people speak English really well. They are hard working and live hard lives, at least compared to American standards. Hong Kong embodied the wealth and luxury of Asia and while we were there enjoyed lots of great food and even a little shopping. We even met up with the Hong Kong Texas Exes to watch the Horns win the Rose Bowl!

 Bangkok                     Pattaya                           Hong Kong                       Ho Chi Minh                       Mekong Delta