Getting There

There's really no possible way pictures can accurately portray the beauty of Costa Rica. It's a country of dramatic landscapes, super nice people and AMAZING scenery.


A three hour plane ride from Houston landed us in the capital city of San Jose, located in the center part of the country. We arrived about 1pm (MST) and waited on our next regional flight to Quepos on the Central Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

(Contrary to popular belief, Costa Rica is nothing like Mexico, nor is it connected to Mexico geographically.)


Costa Rica has two domestic airlines: Sansa and Nature Air. Sansa is actually a government subsidized airline.


Quepos is 3.5 hours by car from San Jose or a 25 minute flight over the mountains. The flight proved to be one of the best decisions we made during the trip planning process. The Costa Rican roads are very curvy, narrow and often full of pot holes. Plus, the plane ride gave us a chance to really get a view of the scenery.


It was like flying in an airborne church van.



Watch the take off here:






A quick hop over the rugged Costa Rican mountains and we were suddenly landing on what looked like a rural Texas highway.


The Quepos airport was basically an open-air building with lawn chairs. We immediately got a feel for how laid back this country is.


Our hotel, Arenas del Mar, arranged for transportation that took us through the town of Quepos, up the mountain toward Manuel Antonio, and to our resort. We would later find that choosing Arenas del Mar was definitely the best decision in our trip planning process.

The resort is basically built in the rainforest and was constructed in a way that did not disturb the fawna, flora or the area. A curvy, windy road led down to the entrance of the property, and we were immediately greeted by the happiest, most helpful people you've ever been around.


Everything is basically open air in Costa Rica. The temperature remains around 75-80 all year. We were there during the beginning of their rainy season, which meant about 3:00 pm every day, it rained or there was a thunderstorm. The rain was never really a factor. The tourist traffic was much less during this time of year, which meant we were always quickly seated when we went to restaurants.

Perhaps the most accommodating factor about Costa Rica was the fact that the sun came up every morning at 5:15 am and sat at 6:15 pm. The area of the country we were in sits on Latitude 9, so it is very close to the equator.

All of the tours and activities we did started around 7 am and we were back at the resort after lunch just before the afternoon rains, and asleep for the night by 7:30 pm. It was certainly conducive toward allowing us to catch up on our sleep!

After we checked in, we were treated to a dinner at the resort's fantastic restaurant. Thus, began our journey with Costa Rican food, adventure and awesomeness.

More of the trip to come...

Square One

It's Monday again. It comes every week as expected. But this Monday feels a little different.

Our plane landed in Lubbock last night at 10:30pm, bringing Byron and I back from a week in Costa Rica. We were both a little wobbly-legged walking up the jet way into the Lubbock terminal after a day of going through customs, airport security and all of the things that accompany post-trip traveling.

I've deplaned many planes at the Lubbock airport, but this time was different. This time was the beginning of a new chapter (pardon the lame analogy). As we fumbled our way through the revolving door, my head was filled with thoughts like:

"Where will Byron keep his toothbrush?"

"Do I have a meeting in the morning that I've forgotten about?"

"Did we get the marriage license taken care of?"

"Did those two mouse traps we left in the house do their job? And if so, does it stink to high heavens in the house?"

The moment the wedding was over, I immediately shut my brain off to any and all critical thought. Once we were back in the U.S., everything I put on hold began to flood back in to my brain.

Everything felt new. We walked into OUR house together. No one had to go home. All of our stuff was crammed in there together - like real married folk.

It really felt like the night before the first day of school. The wedding and honeymoon were summer vacation, now it was back to a routine.

In all actuality, we were really excited to get back and be "normal". It is such a "completed" feeling, like the missing pieces are all finally put together.

We have both determined that it probably won't hit us that we're married until around Christmas. I just realized the other day that my name changed a week ago.

We can't thank everyone enough for all of the wedding help and well-wishes. We are so grateful to everyone who made long trips (and short trips!) to be at the wedding events. The good Lord has blessed us with so many wonderful people in our lives.


I hope to tell a few stories and show a few pictures from Costa Rica in the coming days. It was an amazing trip in a beautiful country.

Ice Cream Trucks and Villains

All summer long, something has been following me. At least once a day, I can hear it in the distance as it moves closer.

Usually, I turn the corner and I see it driving by, lurking by me like a stealth assassin with a carnival horn.

I have a stalker on wheels.


It's the ice cream truck. Now, most of you will say, "You do realize there are more than just one ice cream truck, right?" My answer is yes, I realize that. But have you ever had something that seemed to repeatedly stand out to you? Something that continually showed up at random places?

One time, we were playing city league softball way out on the outskirts of town. The game was over and we were heading back to the car when I heard the distant sound of the ice cream truck...you know, that creepy little tune it plays?

That's when I decided the ice cream trucks in Lubbock were following me. Why was it out there? To sell ice cream to kids and parents playing softball? That's ridiculous.


Then it began driving by my house all creeper style - lurking and waiting for me to come out and buy its delicious frozen treats.

But, no. I denied the urge to get a red, white and blue popsicle or an ice cream cookie.

Seriously, every day I see one. It may be turning the corner near my house. It may be strolling at a slow, creeper speed down a neighborhood street. It may be speeding down the interstate to get to its next location just in time to catch some unsuspecting hungry little kids as they play in the park.

They're out there. Everywhere. Waiting.

One another note, ESPN listed Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach as it's No. 18 villain of college football because of his hate for Texas A&M.

18. Mike Leach -- Texas Tech coach, 2000-present

"Hated by: A lot of people, with Texas A&M leading the pack.

Claim to Infamy: Part-time buccaneer and full-time smart aleck whose unconventional attitude is especially irksome at uber-conventional A&M. Has won seven of nine games against the rival Aggies, including four straight. Went out of his way this past offseason to gig Aggies coach Mike Sherman for his use/nonuse of fourth-round NFL draft pick Stephen McGee, a quarterback who spent much of Sherman's first season as coach on the bench. May coach this season with a peg leg."

Arkansas also got a shout out...as haters.

25. Houston Nutt -- Ole Miss coach, 2008-present

Hated by: Arkansas.

Claim to Infamy: Benched adored true freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain in 2006 despite his 8-0 record as Arkansas' starter. Engaged in hissy in-fighting with Mustain's mother, Beck Campbell, provoking statewide dissension between Nutt backers and those championing Mustain and other members of the so-called "Springdale Mafia." (Springdale High School is where Mustain, coach Gus Malzahn and several other players achieved glory before matriculating to misery in Fayetteville.) Text messages to TV anchor scrutinized and program atmosphere poisoned, Nutt jumped out and landed at SEC West rival Ole Miss. Defeated Razorbacks last season on the way to surprising 9-4 record and Cotton Bowl victory, while Arkansas struggled to 5-7 record.

Byron: The Early Years

I couldn't resist sharing these...



How excited do these kids look?

More from Yesteryear

I rarely go anywhere without a camera. I feel weird without one - like I'll miss out on preserving some moment in time.


I appreciate the fact that my mom had a camera with her frequently while we were growing up. The clothes, the hair and the toys of the 80s were totally rad. It would have been a shame to have not captured these elements in their glory.

Apparently, it was OK for Natalie and I to have mullets at a certain point in our childhood.


Since I was a tomboy, it was also OK to always have an artificial firearm, foam cowboy hat or Kenny Rogers boots.


I also want to throw in these pictures of Karen and Susan. (You guys can thank me later).


If you'll notice, we are wearing accessories from Mr. Potato Head. That's why toys from the 80s were cool.

Party at the Pond

The pre-wedding party my parent's hosted on our farm in Arkansas last weekend was above and beyond anything I could have dreamed up.

Mom and Dad, along with Natalie and her husband Colt, spent days and hours planning, building a pavilion, decorating, mowing, weed-eating around fence posts, and constructing a dock for the pond.

The pond (or, the "tank" as West Texans call it) has always been a great gathering place on the farm. The hill and pine trees on it's northwest side provides a cooling shade in the summer time, and the open view to the south lets you see across the valley into Prairie Grove. It's a great place to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July, and an ideal spot to camp in the fall.


They also had a small army of friends who showed up to help out.


People are still talking about Stevie and Mary Bartholomew's catering. The BBQ chicken melted in your mouth and the brisket was MMM MMM good!

The weather was perfect. The food was amazing. The music was great.

The Hogg Maulies drove from Lubbock to be the evening's entertainment. These guys are part of the reason Byron and I met in the first place.

While going to grad school at Tech four years ago, I went to nearly every Hogg Maulie show in Lubbock. We even followed them around Texas when they played in other cities. The band's following opened up a whole new social circle that ultimately introduced me to my future husband. When I first met Byron back then he was up on stage with the band playing the harmonica to their rendition of the "Fresh Prince of Belair". He claims his public harmonica performaces have been retired, but I'm still pressuring him for a come back tour.

When I would come home during the summer from grad school, I would listen to their music while I was out in the hay fields in Arkansas.

I never in a million years imagined they would be playing on a the banks of our pond.



Thank you, Hogg Maulies, for making the trip. You'll never know how much that meant to us.

Another special thanks to my cousin Carla, who made Byron a Texas Tech birthday cake. It was mighty tasty!


It was a great time to see folks I've known all my life.



Thank you, Mom and Dad, and everyone who worked so hard to get things set up and tore down. It was awesome to be able to show the group from Texas where I'm from and introduce them to all the great people from home. It was a great time, and Byron and I are so grateful.

Vintage 80s and 90s

We are putting together a slide show for the wedding and I came across some rather hilarious photographs from my childhood.

The 80s and 90s were great decades to grow up in, because apparently really awful hair was totally acceptable.

Plus, I was not at an age I could be held accountable for my hair style, so that makes it even better.











On that note, I'd like to wish my soon to be hubby happy birthday.If you were at the party this weekend, there was a Double T (Texas Tech) cake in his honor. I hope to share equally hilarious pictures from his childhood soon.