Of the Marines on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue

- Chester W. Nimitz

out of all the things we did on our honeymoon, the National Museum of the Pacific War, was one of the most intriguing.  when we had the idea of traveling to Fredericksburg, we didn't even know they had a museum of this type there, let along of this magnitude.

we walked by it several times, thinking meh, we can always do this if there is nothing else.  well that happened.  it rained the first two days we were there and it was quite cold out for being the first of May in Hill Country.  so we stopped inside.  WOW! this museum was numerous buildings we found, and for the price, (i think it was like 12 dollars a person or something), it was fantastic.  the admission was good for 2 or 3 days so you could come back multiple times, so you didnt have to rush through it in one visit.  on day 1, we spent 1 - 2 hours in there..  day 2, 3 hours.  and that was just inside....  (outside museum finds, memorials and peace garden will be another post.)

they also host a series of live re-enactments through the year that showcase pieces of the Pacific War.  unfortunately we were not there during one of the events, but i'm sure it would definitely be worth seeing.

above are just a few of the several pictures i took while we were there.
1. this was a tank that was used in the pacific war - right next to the exhibit they had a video running about this particular mission.  they were interviewing one of the men that was assigned to that vehicle. while out the field, the tank was bombed - thus the large hole in front on the left hand side of the photo.  he went on to explain how he knew he had to make it out of this vehicle, but he was only one of the survivors.  he talked about having to manuveur himself around his fallen comrades to climb out of this hole, only to be in a line of fire. 

talk about chaos!

2.  a-bomb.  going into this room was crazy.  it gave me goosebumps.   well most of the museum did, but this room inparticular.   the bomb sirens were ringing and you could feel cold wind circulating the room.  made you feel like you were there.  so weird.  so eerie.


3. this i think was my most favorite of the items - a bit bittersweet. this flag came from a group of men/women who had become POWs during the war.  they refused to leave their flag so they took it apart and shoved the pieces into their clothing to hide it from the enemy.  as you can tell they managed to keep it hidden.

where "Everybody's Somebody"

i must admit this was probably one of my most favorite of the places we visited.  Luckenbach that is.  most people would be like what?  WTH is Luckenbach?  But if you are a real southerner at heart or listen to enough country music, you definitely know all about it.

i thought we were never going to find this place.  it literally is one of those blink and you'll miss it kind of towns.  should i even call it a town?  the only way to get there is via dirt road if that gives you any kind of idea how far out in the middle of no where this place is. and all Luckenbach comprises of is the Post Office with bar in back & dance hall.  theres a couple other buildings like outhouses and sheds, but its literally just a post office with a stage.

this place was kind of like a spectacle.  i mean knowing all the rich history it holds. the things that took place here. and all the amazing people that have been through there at one point in their lives.  and by history, it was no alamo, but this is good rich history that warms the soul.

fields of color

one of the days while we honeymooned in Texas Hill Country, we headed to Wild Seed Farms to explore.

driving into Fredericksburg, I told husband we HAD to visit. 

it was an absolutely gorgeous place, and i recommend anyone who has the opportunity, to stop by & pay them a visit.  during certain months, they do picnics in the fields with live music.  so jealous we couldn't partake in this, but maybe one day soon, the husband and i can venture down to Hill Country with some friends for a little weekend adventure and maybe just maybe we can picnic in the fields. 

more to come from Fredericksburg.  still lots of places to share with you. 

some of our first days.....

as husband and wife..

I know I'm just finally getting around to it (procrastination much?!), but here are pictures from our honeymoon to the quaint and ever so wonderful Fredericksburg.

We did & saw alot of different things while away.

Stayed in my first ever B&B. Mark that off my bucket list!

The World's Largest Working Wildflower Farm.

An amazing museum about the Pacific War.

A trading post.

Experienced a little German heritage.

Walked a sight fufilling street.

And had LOTS of amazing German food.

I will post more pictures of each experience throughout the next few days.  I promise.

little notes



dear cheescake factory,
your ultimate red velvet cheesecake is like heaven.  my waistline is thanking you, even though it probably shouldn't be.

dear mother nature,
umm hello... its fall.. it has been since friday... why doesn't it feel like it yet?  this impatient girl is definitely getting impatient waiting for the temps to cool off.

dear husband,
sorry for freaking out in the department store yesterday and having a meltdown in the truck. its things like the ultimate red velvet cheesecake that keep me from feeling my hottest. thank you for loving me always. i love you.

dear state fair of texas,
you start friday.  i can't wait for our annual visit!

dear texas rangers,
you clinched the division again.  thank you!  baseball will last just alittle longer for me this year.

dear primetime television,
i love you probably more than i should.  but thank you for being a regular staple in my evening activities again. you surely did not disappoint last week and i hope you dont this week either or for many weeks to come.

to get me in the mood

last year fall was a little bit of a let down.  but i can sometimes be hard to please, season wise..  we still had fun, but hopefully mother nature doesnt diappoint this year.

the leaves rustling. the briskness in the air. the pumpkins. the smells.  the festivals with the neice and nephew.  the costumes at halloween (i might even dress up this year!). apple cider. thanksgiving.  corn mazes. hay rides. and more.  just talking about it makes me excited. 

speaking of cider; does anyone have a good cider recipe?? i'm thinking this year i should attempt my own for pumpkin carving night.  it would be a fantastic addition to our little tradition. so feel free to share!


i also hope to be more active with my blog now that we're married and we are a little family (cats included!).  taza has been such a inspiration to be a better blogger.  as silly as it sounds, i hope that one day our little family blog is as amazing as hers.. so i better get busy with the camera and memories...

its nothing to brag about...

but here lately, i'm feeling less than motivated.  about everything.

and i dont know why....

maybe its just, i love spending time snuggling with the husband.

 and being lazy watching tv and staying warm.

and i wish i was doing that instead.

maybe i should try baking something.. that usually helps.

tonight..



yay!



when i get home perhaps from the in-laws.

its family dinner night.

on the menu:

mexican food.

accompanied with the season opener of criminal minds.

i think this is my favorite show. ever! 

i cant wait.

*p.s. did i mention fall is arriving soon! friday to be exact. and i couldnt be happier*

chicken & coffee

This weekend was one of those weekends were you look back and you go "ah!" for several reasons!


a.) we got rain! it was wonderful in every way!  from it cooling us off to putting a nice coat of wet on everything, we couldnt have been more thrilled.  if your not from the area, you dont realize how much we needed this.  i mean we still need a LOT more rain, but we will take everything we can get at this point to help with our extreme drought situation.


b.) staycation! the mister and i made a spontaneous decision on saturday night (after a wild dinner with his father) that we were going to spend the night away from home, just for a nice evening of r&r away from it all.  so we booked us a room down the way (far enough to be outside grapevine, but close enough to home).  it was spectacular! it was nice just to get away from it all, even if it was for one night. 

c.) random acts of kindness! my mom had a tough weekend - she put our dear beloved dog down on saturday (he was 21 and his age had for sure caught up with him), so we went and spent part of sunday with  her and my dad.  the brother and his family along with my grandma decided to join the fun as well.  the mister and i venutred with my mom to half price books and run a few other errands, before stopping and picking up lunch for everyone on the way home. we decided to go in (since we were ordering for nine) and the line was crazy, but decided to wait anyway.  we got to the cashier, ordered our food, and proceeded to pay. our order had to easily be $50.  as my mom opens her wallet to fumble for her debit card, the cashier tells us that our lunch had been taken care of.  WHAT?! total shock overcame our faces.  "How?!," my mother asked.  I mean nothing happened and balloons didnt fall from the ceiling signifying we were number 1,000,000 in line.  and Ashton Kutcher didnt appear.   The cashier told us that a generous act of kindness took care of our meal.  my mom quickly figured who it was and quickly told the man it wasn't necessary.. i mean $50 dollars can be alot in today's ecomony.  and the gentleman told us, "dont worry about it.  I make an effort once a week or so to take care of someone. and today you're it, but you must pass on the act.  my mom proceeded to handle the man's order behind us.  we werent sure if the blessing continued yesterday. 


but then i woke up this morning and still felt the need to give back to someone else.   as i pulled through the starbucks line this morning, i knew this was my chance today.   my order came to $4.28 (its the same everytime, so it was no surprise.) at that moment no one was behind me so i felt let down that i couldnt pass on the kindess. i pull to the window and still had the urge. i asked the barista at the window if anyone happened to be behind me. she said "yes there is, but he's ordering." i told her "i got this one."  that was my moment.  it may not be $50 dollars worth of chicken, but the simplest thing of buying a cup of coffee, could tremendously make someone's morning. i hope the receiver enjoyed their morning joe, and passes on the act somehow someway to someone who least expects it. i also pass on this challenge to everyone else.   help someone out.  treat a total stranger to lunch or coffee.  you never know what kind of day someone is having or how badly they may need that act of kindness.  a little goes a long way.

a to z about ME

Starting off on this blog, now as a married lady, some aspects of my life have changed some and others have changed, so I figured why not play along!




A. Age: 27



B. Bed size: queen - which i'm very content with.. it allows extra snuggling when it gets chilly outside.
 C. Chore that you hate: laundry.. well just folding it.  i wish it would just fold itself.
 D. Dogs: no puppies... apartments and puppies = no bueno if you ask me.
 E. Essential start to your day: coffee or something with caffiene in it. and kissing the mister goodbye too.
 F. Favorite color: hmmm i love all colors, minus yellow and orange... but foam green & pink, red are totally my favorite right now...
 G. Gold or Silver: silver all the way.  gold washes me out.
 H. Height: 5'3'' or there abouts..
 I. Instruments you play: umm nada.. ask me in elementary and i could happily say viola.. 


J. Job title: export administrator...housewife.. kitties mommy.. kitchen operator.  i mean i do alot!
 K. Kids: the kittens - moose, dexter & camille (better known as baby cat)
 L. Live: grapevine, tx!
 M. Mother’s name: lori


N. Nicknames: oh lord.  bethie, betney, bethoni, berthani, tootie (ugh i cant believe i just admitted that one, thanks dad/grandpa!)
 O. Overnight hospital stays: never for myself.  but others i have stayed with.
 P. Pet peeves: horrible drivers..  please i'm begging you stay off the road.


Q. Quote from a movie: Oh, Sammy's so confused he don't know whether to scratch his watch or wind his butt. -Truvy "Steel Magnolias"


R. Right or left handed: lefty


S. Siblings: have a younger brother..
 U. Underwear: yes i own them...not sure how to really answer this :)


V. Vegetable you hate: tomatoes and onions... blech.. but i do love ketchup, salsa and tomato sauce!
 W. What makes you run late: i refuse to be late!  it does not matter! I will not be late!
 X. X-Rays you’ve had: ummm had a broken pinkie when i was small..  and then when i had pnemonia...
 Y. Yummy food that you make: you name it and i want it, i will try and cook it. i'm not scared.  you never know what you will surprise yourself with. :)
 Z. Zoo animal: i ♥ all zoo animals, minus snakes... so its sooo hard to choose.

fall is upon us.

courtesy of

I'm so glad September is here.  With September comes Autumn (or fall, however you prefer your seasons.) And that means no more weeks and weeks of 100+ degree temperatures, sweating just walking to your car & ridiculous AC bills.  I must admit, Autumn is my favorite time of year, by far.  Apple crisps, the smells, the briskness in the air.

Along with cooler weather, it gives me an opprotunity to cook more things in my crock pot such as stews and soups.  Summer just isnt soup/stew friendly.. I mean you can cook and eat it all your want, but theres something about cooler weather and a hot bowl of stew waiting to be eaten.  I'm ready to make some beef stew like the picture above to enjoy on a nice chilly evening with the dear mister.