Merry Christmas from the Kerstens!

A free greeting by Smilebox

Thanksgiving in East Texas...

This year, Duane & I went to Garrison for Thanksgiving. It was a busy, fun holiday! Daddy took care of the birds...he fried one & he smoked one! BOTH were delicious!!!

There was a bit of football...

And hunting...

The boys were left to clean it all by themselves, a first for them!

Jacks was SO GLAD to be there; car rides are not his favorite!

But he was mostly glad for a friend to play with!

We took family pictures, another Thanksgiving tradition.

Nanna & Pappy with 'The Grands' & Saydee...

Scott's family...

Laura, Doug, & Kaylee...

Larry's family...

Caitlin & Hunter...

Duane & me with our Jacks...
We're a wild & crazy bunch!
Don't they look happy & cooperative? It helps to mandate pics BEFORE serving dinner!

And, the feast... There was turkey, dressing, casseroles, bread, veggies, & desserts...all delicious!!!

And the last family tradition of the day??? Napping during football, of course!

Hope you had a wonderful, fun-filled, family Thanksgiving too!

Duane's Fun Weekend

While I was running around with my college peeps, Duane's friend Scott was in town, and they got to tour the new A&M Athletic Complex, including the practice field, locker room, training room & parts of Kyle Field. Of course, I forgot to send the camera with Duane, so these are pics taken by Scott & the rest of their crew... Looks like they had a really good time!

Together Again

We met more than 20 years ago in Fowler Hall at TAMU. We laughed, cried, partied, and even occasionally studied and went to class. Looking back, those college years were some of the best years ever and it is more than just a bit surprising that we not only survived but graduated and now live productive lives! :)

Our friendships have survived the years & distance, and we get together every now and then (not nearly often enough) for a fun-filled walk down memory lane and to share the events of our current lives. This year we got together for the TAMU vs OU football game. It was a GREAT weekend, and just like old times, we laughed & partied like rock stars!!! The game on Saturday was a BLAST! We sat with alum (instead of standing as students, thank goodness) and yelled as the Aggies beat the HELL outta OU! It was great!

Definitely looking forward to our next gathering! Hopefully it won't be 4 years from now!!!

Together Again: Denise, Kendyl, Jackie, Sandy, Laura, & Jennny.

(Wendy was the only one who was MIA; she was sick. We missed you Wendy!!!)

At the game: Laura, Amanda, Dallas, Mark, Sandy, Charles,

Jenny, Michael,

Duane, Denise, Jackie, & Kendyl

WHOOP!

Jacks & the Vacuum

I think it is safe to say that Jacks HATES the vacuum cleaner...

Happy Halloween!

Saturday night, Duane & I headed to Northgate to socialize with friends and see all of the costumes of the day. All of Northgate was CROWDED! We sat on the back porch and just watched the ghouls, ghosts, & goblins parade by. My favorite was the blind football referee, which Duane pronounced a Big 12 ref.And, I couldn't resist this... Where's Waldo???
There he is! :)

Hope everyone has a fun & safe Halloween!!!!

Happy Anniversary!

4 years ago, Duane & I said, "I do," and life has been getting better and better ever since!

Our 1st Anniversary...
Anniversary #2, celebrated on dart night at Hornback's...
Anniversary #3, after our trip to LA...
And, Anniversary #4, after our trip to New Orleans...

New Orleans 2010

Our anniversary is coming up, so Duane & I took off for a long weekend in New Orleans. We had a WONDERFUL time! Duane has been several times, usually for bachelor parties, and I went on a bachelorette/wedding weekend a looooong time ago, but this was my first "tourist" trip to The Big Easy, and it wasn't disappointing! Friday was a driving day. We didn't have a lot of time before the day ended, so we just walked from our hotel to Acme Oyster House and enjoyed the best charbroiled oysters ever and delicious gumbo too!!! Then, we headed over to Bourbon Street, with Duane dressed in his Cowboys t-shirt & cap. EVERYONE had a comment, and some even chanted for him as we strolled down Bourbon. Next, Duane headed to the casino while I went to bed; he had a good time, and I had a good sleep! :)

Saturday, we drove to Slidell and went down the Pearl River West for our Cajun Encounters Swamp Tour. The swamp was really, really beautiful! We weren't disappointed at all; we saw trees, plants, birds, bugs, turtles & lots of gators. After a quick lunch of Po Boys & gumbo at Johnny's PoBoys (again, HUGE & delicious!!!) & a walk around Jackson Square, we visited a couple of bars. The Chart Room & Johnny White's Hole in the Wall were fun places to sit & recharge. They didn't feel like tourist bars at all; they felt like Duddley's, with great people (Aggies are everywhere, by the way!) and good times! We had a bit of excitement as we walked & window shopped. STEVEN TYLER (in town for American Idol auditions) brushed past us on Royal Street. Duane & I were both truly starstruck as our mouths gaped open and we watched him walk by. Both knew exactly who he was, but neither of us could get any words out. That was truly exciting!!! Our vampire tour was too fun! New Orleans has quite a sinister & murderous history, and Lord Chaz brought it to life wonderfully! We had a great time as we walked around NO in the dark hearing the ghostly & ghastly tales about coffin girls, Sultans murdered, & Romeo spikes that he had to tell.

Sunday was a slower day. We ate breakfast beignets at Cafe Du Monde (sweet!) and walked to the Aquarium of the Americas. Their facility is beautiful, and we had a great time seeing all of the fish & wildlife they had to offer! After a late lunch at Felix's sefood (more delicious charbroiled oysters & gumbo), we spent most of the afternoon back at Johnny White's for the football game. The Cowboys let Duane down, but I was happy because the Texans won. :) After a late supper, we headed to Harrah's for more gambling fun, but the blackjack tables were not nice to us at all!!

Monday was spent packing and driving. We weren't ready to come home, but Texas was a sight for sore eyes as we crossed the Sabine River on our way home!

We heard GREAT street musicians, ate great food, and made lots of good memories! New Orleans is a fabulous city; we'll definitely be going back!!!

8 Months Old

Jacks Kersten is 8 months old today!

It's a rough life...

At the Lakehouse

Duane had a rare Saturday off, and we went to Lake Limestone for the weekend. Jacks, of course, went with us. Allison brought her energetic lab, Sage, and Jacks fell in love. He only has eyes for her, but she stayed true to her throwing dummy, but I don't think Jacks minded a bit!

He was soooooooooooo tired when we got home that he slept for days! I think Sage needs to visit more often!