meet the tharpeys

As you can see

2012-02-01T09:05:00.004-06:00

We're having tons of fun with baby

Nova's Newborn Photos

2011-12-21T12:11:00.010-06:00

N O V A C O R I N N E T H A R P E

(photo by: Brooke Schwab Photography)

So, we just so happen to be lucky enough to be friends with some of the most talented creatives and artists anywhere. Two of those friends are Brooke Schwab and Jamie Kutter. If you're not already familiar with either their work, you may recognize the names anyways, considering Brooke captured our birth story images and Jamie captured our wedding images!

Anyways, each of them blew us away with some incredible newborn photos for our little lady, and we'd love to share them with you now! We hope you love them as much as we did! Feel free to leave some love on their blogs if you'd like. We'll also include a couple gems on here so you can get a peak :)

Nova's 2week portraits - by Jamie Kutter Photography

Nova's 4week portraits - by Brooke Schwab Photography

Enjoy!

Fall

2011-10-23T14:05:00.002-05:00

my very favorite season.

there is absolutely no reason to not like Fall!

- the weather is amazing.

- the colors are rad.

- the food is delish.

Also, I got married in the fall and now i have a baby to keep me warm and cozy! :)

In honor of this awesome season and all its deliciousness, i thought i would try out a few fall inspired recipies and share them with you:

1.PUMPKIN SPICE VIETNAMESE ICED COFFEE

via food + words

2. CARAMEL APPLE CUPCAKES

via - cupcake blog

3. PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP GRANOLA BARS

via - two peas and their pod

EAT UP!

1 month of Nova

2011-10-19T20:35:00.001-05:00

Here's a visual recap of our first month with the love of our lives.

Happy 1month Nova! (the happiest)

love,

mom and dad

Meet the Nova: a homebirth story

2011-10-14T13:37:00.001-05:00

It's been a while....right?

Well, we had the joy of welcoming our beautiful, 9lbs 12oz daughter into the world on September 21st, in our very own home! It was the most impacting and emotional experience of our lives, and we cherish every moment of it.

(Brooke Schwab Photography)

She decided to take her sweet time, and came right before the 42week mark. We had always planned to put together a birth announcement video after she was born, but after realizing the events and moments we had captured since her due date, we new a little birth story is the only thing that could do justice to the anticipation and excitement we felt along the way- just waiting to meet our daughter.

Our good friend Brooke also captured the whole birth process, as well as the bonding time after birth. We can't thank her enough for the amazing images she was able to create and capture for our family.

We'd love to share the rest with you: AMAZING BIRTH PHOTOS

We also want to thank our AMAZING midwife Kellie Moeller for helping us to have the most incredible birth experience we could possibly imagine. She's going to be a long-time part of this family as it grows.

The rest of the love (and there's a lot of it) goes to our family that supported us along the way. We couldn't have done it without them. We love our families so much, and this experience has done nothing but bring us all even closer together.

(Brooke Schwab Photography)

Parenthood has been absolutely amazing. You'll probably get more personalized stories from each of us, but for now, we'll stop blabbering on.
- Aaron & Rachel

Here is Nova's birth story that we put together, we hope you enjoy it!

Nova's Birth Story from 31Films on Vimeo.

Special thanks to our friend, Tyler Swanner for the beautiful title work in the video

40 Weeks

2011-09-12T14:21:00.002-05:00

i am 40 weeks pregnant and at this point if feels like im going to be pregnant forever! in fact was i ever not pregnant? Baby could be about the size of a pumpkin. Any guesses on how much she'll weigh?

im very curious! im thinkin 7 - 7.5 lbs maybe but who knows?????

We are defintely ready to meet this babe we got our birth kit ready! and the Nursery mostly ready! just want to add a few more decor item before we post the completed pictures.

How far along? 40 weeks

Sleep: Waking up often to switch sides and potty but still getting some solid hours

How am i feeling?: Ready to have a baby!!... i mean as ready as one can be :)

Total Weight Gain: 30 pounds

Food Cravings: sno cones.. when i have this baby im gonna eat 100 of them!

Gender: GIRL!!

What i'm looking forward to: i can wait to meet this little person inside me its a crazy feeling its like im use to being pregnant and having this little something poke and respond... But to actually meet her? and see her face? wow.

Best moment this week: There is a real SUPER NOVA in the sky right now its the closest and brightest in over 25 years. And is supposed to have reached its peak sometime between the 9th and 12th (today!) :) so that is pretty amazing!! Still not sure if baby star will decide to make her debut tonight but how crazy cool would that be?

You can read a little something about the Super Nova ->Here

37 Weeks - FULL TERM

2011-08-22T14:02:00.002-05:00

37 weeks pregnant which is technically full term! that means baby can come anytime now! My due date is not for another 3 weeks but maybe she would like to make an early arrival? Since im full term i've had a lot of people suggest i get to walking or jump on a trampoline and get this show on the road but at least for now im perfectly fine where i am she seems comfy and as much as i want to meet her. Im not quite ready to jump start things maybe its the nerves?? :)

Baby girl should be over 19 inches long now about the length of a stalk of swiss chard and weighing somewhere between 6 1/2 lbs.

How far along? 37 weeks

Sleep: i wish i could be weightless some how when i sleep that would be amazing!

How am i feeling?: really good actually some soreness and back pain but not so bad

Total Weight Gain: 28 pounds

Food Cravings: lots and lots of water

Gender: GIRL!!

What i'm looking forward to: having everything ready! :)

Best moment this week: My husband bought us a small swimming pool for me to relax in and help with some of this heavy load we spent the whold saturday floating in the backyard im really enjoying our fun together moments.

35 Weeks

2011-08-11T15:20:00.003-05:00

I am 35 weeks pregnant and things are starting to get intense around here mainly due to two newbie parents trying to prepare for anything and everything imaginable. We've never had a baby before so yah theres that. Mostly tho we are so excited we just cant wait to meet our daughter! My baby should be around 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds

How far along? 35 weeks

Sleep: I feel like saying none but thats not really true im actually getting quite a bit of sleep its often interrupted by potty breaks and baby kicks but still.

How am i feeling?: Mostly tired a little nervousness kicking in :)

Total Weight Gain: 25 pounds.........scary....

Food Cravings: Can i just eat everything i'm not suppose to please? :)

Gender: GIRL!!

What i'm looking forward to: This is my very last week of work and i am so anxious to work on things at home. Its so very hard to get anything done after a days work. And with these nesting feelings i know i will feel so much better getting things ready for baby.

Best moment this week: Watching my belly shape shift, there really is a baby in there! I also took a breastfeeding class that was awesome an pretty eye opening the fact that i'm about to be a mother is really sinking in.

Art Work Love

2011-07-28T14:02:00.000-05:00

We've been scouring the Craft blogs and the wonderful world of Etsy for some killer art work to give Nova's room that extra pop of color

Since art work is obviously not on our "needs list" We havent pulled the trigger on anything quite yet. I thought i would showcase a few of our faves.

We are finding more and more artwork a bit on the sarcastic playful side and these four are by far the most hilarious!

Subliminal Baby Letterpress Art Print Series

From: Sycamore Street Press

Cause our daughter makes us happy and so does this color.

Happy Happy From: Farouche

Flower Power so she can be all hippyish :)

Love is All You Need

From: Erin Jane Shop

Because this is just so much fun

Tutti Futti From: Keep Calm Gallery

This is ADORABLE

My Sunshine From: Keep Calm Gallery

These hand stitched beauties have inspired me to try my own hand at some embroidery work. But we would totally love to purchase one or two.

Hand Stitched Happiness From: Moxiedoll

Slowly, but surely...

2011-07-20T12:16:00.008-05:00

So ever since finding out that we're having a little girl...we've had a blast figuring out what to do in her room! The hardest thing so far has been color!!!

We went through several samples and a few dozen color swatches, but FINALLY found one we really thought would work. It's dainty, but with a nice vintage/nostalgic tone to it. It also opened up all sorts of ideas for decor in there. Here are a few little details of what we have so far. Still DEFINITELY a work in progress, with lots of details and room rearrangements in the future, but it's good to finally see some momentum!

before:now:

rachel's getting crafty with the details:

We can't wait to introduce our little lady to her home! Let us know what you think so far
- Mr. T

p.s.
Much thanks to momma Raquel and sisters Tina and Hannah for helping us paint!!! You were life-savers. Also to Grandpa and Grandma Rodriguez for the amazing crib! and to Clark Lara for finding that killer vintage N!

30 Weeks

2011-07-08T13:03:00.001-05:00

Well 30weeks + 4 Days
Thats like um 10 weeks till my due date...... CRAZYNESS!
My Nova should be about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds about the size of a head of cabbage.

My baby is a mover it sometimes feels nonstop. It is amazing watching my belly shape shift and feeling her head or bottom poking out my side just not so much at 11pm when I'm trying to sleep! Everything is looking great we were told she had a gorgeous heart and a ton of hair for a 28 week old i am now giddy for bows and hair flowers.

We have been collecting fun things for her room for awhile now and things are really starting to come together.

How far along? 30 weeks

Sleep: Not so much... my baby loves to "punch" my mattress when im on my side which keeps me up. Also my belly is big and getting bigger so sleep is getting harder

How am i feeling: I really have been feeling good a little tired here and there Nesting! Nesting! Nesting!

Total Weight Gain: 20 pounds - My maternity jeans are officially snug i can where them out and about but not if I want to sit down for long periods of time they cut into my belly :(

Food Cravings: Hmm more watermelon please!

Gender: GIRL

What i'm looking forward to: our childbirth classes start in a few weeks and i am very excited :)

Best moment this week: When Aaron calls her by name and she responds... its Awesome!

Milestone: I am at the beginning of my third trimester and time is flying by! A crib has been bought and nursery things are really coming together

Hello my name is...

2011-06-05T08:41:00.000-05:00

:) okay - we'll admit the belly photo thing might be on the cheesy side...but we just couldnt help ourselves when we saw this idea on a baby blog ad long before we even found out we were expecting our little love bundle.

Nova Corinne is the name we have fallen just head over heels for....So we're making it official!

Nova \n(o)-va\ as a girl's name is pronounced NOH-VAH. It is of Latin origin, and the meaning of Nova is "new". Astronomy: a nova is a star that releases a tremendous burst of energy, becoming extraordinarily bright. Chevrolet used to make a small car called a "Nova".

Corinne \cor-inne\ as a girl's name is pronounced CORE-IN. Is a female name, and the English variant of Cora and/or Korinna. The meaning of Corinne is "Beautiful maiden".

We laugh at how we were so sure we wouldn't name baby girl 'til she was born. Aaron says "Pregnancy changes people!" oh boy, I wonder what parenthood does! :)

Our First Born

2011-05-20T00:35:00.000-05:00

Cannot wait...

- Mr. Tharpey

23 Weeks

2011-05-18T22:28:00.002-05:00

Baby T should be about 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound

(about as much as a large mango)

My belly is defintely out there and its taking some getting use to. Lots of fun movement going on inside, its pretty cool having a little buddy with me at all times :). I finally got a chance to make it out to that Motherhood store my mom came along and helped me sift throught the many options got me some pretty sweet bottoms from the clearance, so many cute things that place could really break the bank.

Ive been wondering so much about baby and being a mother and what the future holds for our growing family.

Will i be able to bond with my baby right away or will it take some time?

What will my "birth story" be?

What about breast feeding how will i know what to do?

Will i ever fit back into those rad jeans i had to pack away at the bottom of my dresser?

How far along? 23 weeks

Sleep: mostly good its getting hard to rollover and switch sides. Im also having very intense dreams!

How am i feeling: A few rough days but mostly good, Good sleep and plenty of snacks are a must... lesson learned!

Total Weight Gain: 14 pounds(wow)

Food Cravings: none lately

Gender: ?

What i'm looking forward to: our first ultrasound and getting a peek at our little babe. Scheduled for tomorrow!

Best moment this so far: Feeling the baby kick mostly light little bumps but a few good strong ones. Aaron felt it for the first time last week it was an amazing moment. I'm thinking it's a little ninja! (Aaron thinks it's a soccer star though)

Milestone: Celebrating Mother's day as a "Mommy to be" such an honor. Im so thankful for my wonderful Mother and all the moms i get to spend time with and learn from. I am very blessed!

Baby Stuff

2011-04-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

a few baby things im currently drooling over....

Boon Grass Drying Rack

Also available in pink!

Charlie Banana cloth diapers

Glass Bottles

Luca glider

Fisher Price Record Player

20 Weeks

2011-04-27T18:16:00.004-05:00

Wahoo! We are half way there. Baby T. is due 9.12.11
We are so very happy and anxiously awaiting his/her arrival.

The baby world is big and a little overwhelming but we are doing our very best to learn as much we can on everything from childbirth and "parenting styles" to lovies and boppys ;)

How far along? 20 weeks

Sleep: Waking up at least once a night. I hear cutting back on water a few hours before should help but im the most thirsty at nights!

How am i feeling: GREAT! I had a little nausea in my first trimester but my biggest misery was horrible sinus problems. Im happy to report that they are almost totally a thing of the past. Now if i could just figure out how to squeeze a nap in at work.... :)

Food Cravings: PICKLES. I've always loved pickles, but lately i reeeeally love them trying not to indulge however not the healthiest of snacks.

Gender: ?

What i'm looking forward to: feeling my baby kick

Best moment so far: Hearing the hearbeat we have it recorded on our phones we listen to it often.

Milestone: Baby flutters in my tummy started 4.26.11 must have been around midnight or so. I may have felt it a few times before while leaning over on my belly but it was to quick to really tell.

Introducing: Emma Jaymes

2011-03-10T22:26:00.003-06:00

We'd like you to meet our new little niece. Congrats Billy & Jamie!

Adorable, right?

Positive Results

2011-01-18T11:34:00.004-06:00

Stay Tuned... For more on this crazy happy news!! :)

New little friend

2011-01-07T18:42:00.004-06:00

Meet little Jovi...

We adopted her in early december on our way into PetsMart having no intention of getting another doggie. i told Aaron not to even think about it when i noticed the kennels and an adoption sign out front. When we got a little closer i noticed a puppy that looked exactly like our Nina puppy, only way tiny! And that was pretty much the end of it. we went over and picked her up and after talking with one of the workers we decided to take her home.

She's really sweet and shy, unlike Nina who is very hyper! She's a chihuahau mix and although they were not exactly sure what shes mixed with they've been calling her a chi-weinie (dachshund/chihuahua) either way we love her!

It took awhile for her Nina to get use to each other, but they are really becoming buds.

Sunset Action

2010-10-31T22:16:00.006-05:00

Thanks to the gorgeous weather that was beckoning us to the backyard, I was got inspired to snap some shots of a couple of my gals, along with a gorgeous sunset...right from our backyard!

See California...every now and then we get some nice light!

Enjoy!

- Aaron

1yr

2010-10-28T23:03:00.004-05:00

So today was officially our 1 year anniversary as home-owners! It's hard to believe it's already been a year since we got the keys. We're actually still moving things around, arranging rooms, decorating and painting. (not sure if that ever stops)

Anyways - cheers to home-owning!

- Mr. T

oops...

2010-10-23T00:49:00.002-05:00

Hey there blogger world, it's the Tharpey's again! Did we forget about you for um...a year??

SORRY ABOUT THAT! Our "home computer" was tied up for a while with work related tasks, and we just couldn't find the time to put some thoughtful posts together. It's our bad though, and we can admit that. We're back in action now!

Well a few things have happened since last we talked....

- We bought a house (oh yah, you kinda already knew that...and thats kinda where we left you hangin', isnt it?) Well let me tell you, owning a home is some hard work! (especially when moving in right before the holidays last year...pretty sure thats even harder!) BUT, we did it and hosted our first Thanksgiving too. And though we didnt let anyone open our closets, our home was clean, and thanks to my husband, we are completely unpacked! (As of two weeks ago). We literally had four boxes left in the spare room full of mostly junk that took us FORRREVER to go through, and now we're organized and ready for a garage sale. :P
Ahhh feels so good to be home!

- Had some major job switcheroos: ME (rachel) - the good Lord opened a door for me to work in an exciting, creative environment with some pretty crazy talented people over at 31Films, where I especially enjoy working side by side with my favorite dude (hubby). I was previously employed at the family business, Cornelius Contracting. I'm so very grateful for my time spent there and the things I learned! Basically being together as couple 24/7 has its challenges, but for the most part it's super FUN.

- We've done a bit of traveling from California to Cincinatti; our job has taken us to some fun and interesting places, and we are so grateful for things we get to do and the places we get visit :)

- - FOLSOM, CALIFORNIA: So we never realized the prison that good ol' Johnny Cash sings about was in....California?!? Does that make any sense? I pretty much dig all things Cash though, so we of course considered taking the tour of the prison, however watching the news one night during our 4 day stay in Cali, we discoverd a 250 person prison riot happened the very evening we arrived. We even saw the ambulances swoop by on our way to our hotel. The report was 13 injured and the riot occured during rec hour so um yah... no prison tours for us.. sorry Johnny. Aside from prison drama, I absolutely love the town of Folosm. Lots of charm, super cute, historic district, full of awesome shops. (and showcasing a breath taking view of folsom lake.) I'm adding it to the list of places I want to move to one day :)

pics of the beautiful folsom to follow...

- - CINCINATI, OHIO: Ok, so not exactly on our dream list of places to visit, but off we went to make wedding film magic ;) and stayed at a pretty ritzy hotel smack in the middle of down town Cinci. We did a bit a browsing on the streets, not to bad a place and we had the privledge of meeting up with some pretty awesome friends (Steve and Reagan Zegulter) who also happend to be in the wedding filmaker biz.

- Nina is still adorable. We did the yearly "Furry Friends" shoot with Clark Lara Photography, and he captured the little cutie pie....leash and all (since we can't trust her on her own)

Aside from all of that...we're having an incredibly exciting year. We're coming up on our 2 year wedding anniversary and our 1 year home owning anniversary. Tons of fun stuff happening for our family and friends, tons of adventures for us, and tons of learning and goal-setting in motion for us as well. We'll save it all for their own posts though.

For now, it's good to be back. Hope the feelings are mutual :)

Much love,

the Tharpeys

Sister!

2010-03-25T08:50:00.002-05:00

dear sister i can not! can not! believe you are 18 today :)

you are the smartest, funniest, most beautiful eighteen year old ive ever met.

p.s.
your are a marvelous dancer i think you should go pro!
-rachel

check out her senior photos
here :)

It's Official...

2009-11-12T23:27:00.003-06:00

You knew it was coming!

plenty more details to come :)

Images for the Tharpes

2009-11-10T14:30:00.000-06:00

We took some fun pictures awhile back with Clark Lara Photography

He is very good and we had such a blast!

check them out here :)

clarklaraphotography.com

(just so you know although we may not be smiling we are actually quite happy)

the keys

2009-11-06T14:13:00.000-06:00

to our First Home

(they gave us plenty eh?)

we've been homeowners for 2 solid weeks now and its been a blast!!

ive been dealing with a cold/cough thing for a week now so the settling has been rough

but we couldnt be happier :D

i hope to post pics soon

soon. soon. soon.

Can You Believe....

2009-10-23T14:02:00.009-05:00

this is the same pup? man...she's gotten so stinkin' big since we adopted her! still a little cutie pie though :)

thanks to www.clarklaraphotography.com for the new pics. (thanks to me for the old ones!)

before:

after:

peace y'all!

-Aaron

Mini Garden Update

2009-10-20T16:12:00.006-05:00

4wks later.............

these little guys need LOTS of sunlight i had them on my window sill but the sun only comes up from one side (notice the healthier plant on the left and the sickly plant on the right) so if this happens to you try and rotate them or move them to an even lit window :)

Let the Wild Rumpus Start!

2009-10-19T08:32:00.002-05:00

we saw it on Friday....

Its Great!.... :)

p.s.

2009-10-14T11:48:00.001-05:00

we started packing last night too......... ;)

Decor Idea #3

2009-10-14T09:06:00.008-05:00

Window Treatments:

really diggin this curtain rod idea, from Apartment Therapy

and if im lucky enough to find a branch this perfect im all over tackling this project :)

(fingers crossed) im a real fan of bringing elements from the outdoors IN and using them as decor

its cool and unique and lots of fun!!

*house update*

so we took our weekly trip to house last night turns out.........................SHES DONE!!!

well mostly :) still waiting on appliances and little fixes but its all clean and the carpet is in, our fence is up, the grass is layed and some real pretty trees have been planted. It was all very exciting and i did a dance all over the living room! :D

the whole way home we couldnt get over it, it all hapenend so fast and we can not believe how BLESSED we are.......... and we are so VERY VERY THANKFUL!

Herb Garden - Take 1#

2009-10-05T09:04:00.014-05:00

so, i started some garden fun last week - with these cute little planters i found from Target in the $1 section, which was so cool! they're called "Buzzy Mini Grow Pots" and they come with little porcelain pots, seeds, and a little pellet of soil that expands. it was loads of fun!

these are the kits

these are our own mini bowls

i spread it all out on the countertop

tried to keep it all organized so we know what's what

this is the soil that's been freeze-dried - i think? :)

then i just added a little bit of water

then the soil magically expanded!

and i did the same thing for the rest of the little soils

then i mixed up the soil and water

and i put a little over half of the soil into the planter

and these are the cute little seeds (5 in each pot)

i put the little guys in the pot

then i covered it up with the rest of the soil and lightly packed it in

then we put 'em on our window seal

and now we'll just have to wait and see!

thanks to husband for taking the pics!

all i have to do is keep the soil moist. its so fun to watch these little guys grow.

i hope to have a huge vegetable garden one day

........baaaaby steps though....baby steps!

House-ness

2009-09-26T22:17:00.012-05:00

So we haven't been so great with the house updates....and we apologize

Here are some of the most recent details :)

Sidewalks are laid! (*lain?)

Bricks and Painted Siding all up!

(Driveway and walkway are actually down now too...)

All landscaping should be done this week!

Inside- All sheetrock/texture/paint/fixtures are up!

Cabinets and countertops installed! (waiting for backsplash)

Tile in bathrooms is down (and up)

Even sinks are in...

The rest of the flooring will be in sometime during the next two weeks.

Appliances have all been ordered too!

Me and Rach already shopping decor/fixtures and planning our "upgrade" work :)

We'll be hitting the hardware store soon to grab a few power tools so i can deck the place out! :) lol

We'll keep you updated, we swear!

-Aaron and Rachel

Introducing Lucie Joy: Pt. 2

2009-09-17T15:00:00.003-05:00

So here are some photos I managed to nab on the night our new little niece Lucie was born. I was asleep on the floor and was woken up to cheers of "she's here!" around 3am...at which point I had to try and turn "document mode" on in my brain. Not that easy, but I was at least able to capture the moments! :)

Everyone was waiting around downstairs for the arrival.

We were all sending frequent updates out, via the cellular devices

Then we got the thumbs up....She was finally here :)

Everyone crowded tightly around, I found a table to sneak a peak from

Brian was the one to bring the good news. He was clearly ecstatic...

We coaxed Brian into sharing the wide-eyed bundle of love....

He was about as smitten as we've seen him...

He took her back up to Lindsey for a little family time

The meal for Lindsey followed close behind...

Luckily I was able to get just a few of just her before we left.

and there you have it! The new fam is having fun and little Lucie is as dainty and lady-like as could be. Hope you enjoyed! Congrats Brian and Lindsey!

-Aaron

i want my husband back!!

2009-09-17T09:34:00.010-05:00

my dear ole husband has been sick for 6.5 days now.... he was slammed with several types of sickness stuff this past week leaving his body needing much much rest and i miss him...

its been boring around here without him being... him....

theres no one to make me laugh

or talk to

or cook with

or play games with

ive been so bored im watching E News, i hate E News

and im talking to myself

please get better soon aar i miss/need you

and i already have 100 plans for us to do when you get better :D

love you

-Rae

...house update...

in other news our house is coming along just swimmingly cabinets are in, walls are painted and brick and window sills are up

Decor Idea #2

2009-09-11T09:37:00.016-05:00

How Beautiful are these wallpapers by Ferm Living?!? i cant get over them!
if i could i'd put them in EVERY room of the house :)

(the green is my fave!)

-Rachel

Farewell Little Buddy

2009-09-08T22:54:00.008-05:00

So, this afternoon - my little pal, Dwight Kristionson McEllington III swam on to bigger and better waters. He'd been sick for a while and even after getting fresh tank cleaning, new toy, and some new food - he passed on. It's has been a great 3 years working with you next to me little dude. You always had a way with the lady too!

RIP

btw...sidenote for any beta fish owners out there. please disregard the "all they need is a plastic container the size of half a cup" myth that's out there. i'd never seen little dwighty so happy as when i bought him a 4 gallon tank with all kinds of plants and rocks and caves for him to swim around in.

Introducing Lucie Joy: Pt. 1

2009-09-07T19:46:00.003-05:00

So we'd like to introduce to you, our new little niece, Lucie Joy! The adorable bundle was born this weekend and I caught a quick second of her dad introducing her on film. Picture post is to follow shortly...but enjoy "the look" for now...

Introducing: Lucie Joy from Aaron Tharpe on Vimeo.

Nina is for the birds....

2009-08-31T22:00:00.017-05:00

So this afternoon, I was doing my weekly Maintenance Connection documentation work from home - which means I get some "quality time" with the pup. She typically spends the day asleep on my lap or right below my feet. Occasionally though, when I'm going to give my eyes and backside a break, I'll take Nina out onto our back patio where she loves to just walk around get some rays. I'll pour some iced coffee and just relax out there for a few minutes until we get back to work.

Well, today I was walking to sliding door to open it up, and I remembered that I had a scheduled phone meeting around that time with my supervisor. So I almost let her out, but decided to just open the blinds a little bit and let her enjoy some sun!

About 1 minute later, I heard her barking frantically. I had a feeling I should go check it out. I walked over to the window, and what did I see, but a HUGE HAWK perched on our balcony railing staring at Nina like she was a field-mouse. This thing was so gorgeous and so big! (the pictures don't do it justice). It was totally majestic and was about 3 feet away from me. I grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots of that bad boy through the blinds/door screen/smudgy window. It sat there for a good minute or so, until I got risky and tried opening the door. It was incredible when it flew away though. It's wingspan was just amazing. Check it out...

I have no doubt though, that if I would have let little Nina out onto that patio while I made my call, she would have been bird food! That hawk was about twice her size with some mean claws! Thank God (and my supervisor) though....'cause Nina is safe and sound watching the birdies from afar!

(btw - she's been "shaking hands" like crazy lately, but that's for another post...)

-Mr. T

Decor Idea #1

2009-08-28T13:48:00.009-05:00

For Guest/Craft room:

Sooooo many decorating ideas floating around in the old noggin we've even started a journal to store them all, i thought id post a few here for some quick refrence....

i LOVE crafts and anything DIY really and since we'll have two extra unoccupied rooms for the time being i get to use one as a craft room! yee! :0

Found this "How to" over at Craftzine a crafty blog i often visit they have all kinds of great ideas
Vintage Spool Peg Racks

super cute eh?? :)
here are the step by step instructions should you get to feeling a little crafty yourself :)

11.16.09

2009-08-26T16:04:00.007-05:00

we FINALLY sent in our selections for our Wedding Pictures last night....

i decided id post this up here

it makes me REALLY HAPPY!!!

Just a little update...

2009-08-20T21:11:00.004-05:00

Everything is coming along nicely :)

CHECK HER OUT!

we'll keep you posted!

Ode to Wii

2009-08-20T11:02:00.022-05:00

My Dearest Nintendo Wii,

Why doest thou torment my heart so? Thou art aware of the ever-longing desire I behold for thee, yet thou doeth not make thineself present. WHY OH WII, WHY??? Hath thou been hurt by mine actions? Nay! I shall vanquish all other manner of consoles from our place of rest! I shall prepare a place for thee to dwell.....a nook in the wooden centre of entertainment. Thou shalt

be favored above all other gaming systems....well, until Nintendo releases another totally rad system.

I shall have thee, oh Wii. One day, when all other necessities have been purchased and bestowed upon us. Wait for me, oh Wii.

Sincerely,

Sir Aaron

Believe It or Not

2009-08-17T15:07:00.020-05:00

So Ripley's Believe It or Not, with the incredible talented Dean Cain,

as seen below:

(lol)

They were doing a piece about a "TV Loving Dog" who apparently is drawn to the TV any time it's on. The dog will sit, watch, and react. I didn't know this stuff was TV material....otherwise I would have sent this picture in a few months back. Little Nina could be a star...

Well, after making that deduction in my head, Nina walked into the living room and took it to another level.

Can't say I could have posed or timed this any better.

Needless to say...."I Believe It!"

Colorado Pictures :)

2009-08-17T14:51:00.007-05:00

so - i got to go to colorado this weekend for a company retreat.

check out the post here

We've Been Framed!

2009-08-10T12:09:00.007-05:00

It's true, we sware!

So we went by our future place the other day to find that they now have the entire place framed! It was so incredible to walk through each room of the floorplan. We did some video tour action and took several photos for the scrapbook. Some of which we're sharing with you here :)

...and this is our first bit of vandalism!

The theory is that it may be a rare Banksy piece...

Our construction manager let us know that the siding/bricks/windows/roof should all be up by the end of this week.

This process is going SO fast :) but we're pumped.

We'll keep you posted!

-Mr. T.

the Sanchez Fam

2009-08-10T10:53:00.010-05:00

my husband takes amazing pictures
like these :)

Let the Baking begin!

2009-08-10T08:43:00.003-05:00

Look what i found on my desk this morning

a super awesome cookbook from the super awesome

♥ Grandma Kathy ♥

its just full of all sorts of neat ideas for sweet treats

and i cant wait to get started!

a thousand THANK-YOUS Gram! :)

happy weiner day!

2009-08-04T10:41:00.002-05:00

i ♥ hotdogs

p.s. you can hardly tell but i got my hair cut *bangs*

slab-o-rama

2009-07-27T21:45:00.013-05:00

yea baby! this house is already cookin'!

So here's the general idea of things....

& this is our newly poured slab...fresh out of the truck.

& we've decided to stick to our thumbs-up ways. if it ain't broke....
(btw. i'm whistling in this one. so just imagine the tune from "threes company" in your head...)

we'll keep you posted on the progress. they said bricks should be arriving tomorrow and the frame will be up within the next week :) man oh man....

cheers

-Mr. T

some rules to live by

2009-07-27T14:11:00.011-05:00

Buy only whats necessary / only what you can afford

Understand the difference between what you want and what u need

Discipline yourself and refuse to live carelessly

Get out of debt at all costs

Educate yourself in the Word of God

Time is short therefore spend your time wisely - with family and friends

Pastor gave us these "Rules to Live By" for these trying times. great advice, and what an awesome service we had yesterday... God is moving at the River... God is moving everywhere :)

So, if you havent already - set yourself up on a BUDGET. We decided early on that these were some rules we wanted our family to abide by. it can be difficult sometimes what with the temptations of "wordly goods" :) and all but we're stickin to it!

good day

-Sweet T.

we love Mickey D's

2009-07-27T13:43:00.006-05:00

its true we do! :)

(even though it just may kill us....)

**House Update**
we had our pre-construction meeting today with Joel our construction supervisor, He seems a decent fellow and it was great to meet him he went over the whole process with us and we told him how EXCITED WE ARE!!
AND they may get to pour the foundation today Lord willin! :)

Happy Birthday River!

2009-07-23T14:40:00.007-05:00

Our Church the River celebrated its 5 year anniversery a sunday or two ago on April 12, 2009
God's Doing great things at the River as we come to know more of God and seek His face

my husband the ever so talented and handsome Aaron Tharpe put together this little video of where we've come from as a church and where we're going....

husband works here incase you didnt know and you can read all about it here

:)Good day

-RT

Thanks!

2009-07-23T12:22:00.004-05:00

dear husband,

you made me lunch today! thanks so much your really somethin!

thanks for sleeping till the last possible minute with me... i really appreciate it.

thanks for feeling bad for sleeping till the last possible minute with me and making up new ways for us to get up early and maybe eat a well balanced breakfast one of these days.... :)

im proud of you for doing your crossfit again even tho im afraid of that place... very afraid...

im really thankful for how hard you work.. you work so very hard.

thanks for bursting into spontaneous song with me.

thanks for being responsible and paying our bills.

thanks for being irresponsible with me and staying up late and talking with me about things
i like our talks.

thanks for being a Godly man and seeking God's Will.

also your really funny.... to me ;).

i Love you.

your sweet T.
Rachel

dang skippy!

2009-07-11T23:29:00.016-05:00

So we signed all of our contacts & forms. made all of our selections, and it's now FINALLY official. We're gonna be first time home-owners this year....We're pumped!

We would have never guessed that within the 1st year of marriage, at the ages of 21 and 23 - we'd be able to own our 1st home. We've definitely been blessed.

We'll keep you updated!

Last year today.......

2009-07-05T22:25:00.006-05:00

This happened.....

Today......

-sparklers at midnight

-birthday kiss and hug in the morning

-lunch with our beautiful family minus burciagas :'(

-lots of thoughtful gifts!

-SNOW CONES!!

-nap

-new dresses galore (shopping spree!!!!)

I love my life, im in love with my husband!!

im thankful to my God.

House!

2009-06-29T12:09:00.009-05:00

We've found one and we love it!...Tis a humble abode 3bdrms, 2bath, spacious living :) filled out the application and signed all the necessary papers to get the ball rolling on Thursday, we selected our very own LOT too a handsome corner lot it is with plenty of room for the pup to play! We find out this week if we've been approved if so we get to go to a fancy design studio and maybe even make some fancy selections Fun!- Lots of nervous feelings mostly excited ones tho! :)

any extra prayers you have would be greatly appreciated!! Wisdom and God's Will thats what we're praying for! :) :) :)

funny thing i think im mostly excited to have a backyard :) ive been reading this:

lately, and i want a garden sooooo badly oh to plant my very own carrots and herbs and strawberries!! other stuff too probly, but those are my faves :) id like to have some chickens one day too and a cow.... in due time tho, in due time

Good Ol' Topol

2009-06-08T15:33:00.006-05:00

And a great time it was....

sidenote: i had forgotten how nifty this little canon point and shoot is. i had left it in the camera bag and forgotten about it ever since getting my new baby. Either way, i need to remember to bust this little dude out every now and then :)

Memorial Day Recap

2009-06-02T08:11:00.006-05:00

Just a little bit of this and that.

Good Times,

-The Tharpeys

cup-bundt-cakes

2009-05-20T09:21:00.004-05:00

in case you didnt know im addicted to sugar... and last night i needed CAKE! :)
so husband made me these yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmm!

Funfetti cake is one of my most favorites (vanilla cake with colorful little dots inside)
they started out as mini bundt cakes but then puffed up to cupcakes... so cup-bundt-cakes were born
delicious!

Twittermania

2009-05-18T11:30:00.001-05:00

yah...we're there too...

http://twitter.com/tharpey
http://twitter.com/mrstharpey

much love!

Swine Flu, Shhmine Flu.

2009-05-04T08:08:00.009-05:00

Okay - we promised from the beginning that this blog would be used to try and be a voice of reason in the world. Calling out the shenanigans we see every day. Well.....IT'S TIME TO CALL SHENANIGANS! This one will be a doozie...

Go ahead and scoll down to the blue header if you hate the proper format of Introductory Paragraphs > Supporting Paragraphs > Conclusive Paragraphs.

We've been hearing about swine flu, swine flu, swine flu every time we turn around. From the TV news, on the radio, in the newspapers, on any "informative" website out there (msn, yahoo, etc...), politicians are throwing out there 2 cents...AS WELL AS, from close family and friends, random shop owners who bring it up, the cashiers at restaurants...EVERYONE is talking swine flu.

Does anyone know why? Do you know why? What's the word they're using most often when talking about it? It always comes right after the words "swine" and "flu"..... it's "EPIDEMIC". (the really frightened ones are utilizing the much more severe description of "PANDEMIC".)

Well...being a compulsive truth-seeker, I've learned that the media is rarely ever "dead on". (So sad that people can walk by their tv set, hear a snipit about a breaking story, and take it at face value and start the whole..."did you hear that...." trend.) I hope I can inspire some of you to become truth-seekers. Not taking my word. Not taking the word of MSNBC, CNN, or Fox News. Not taking the word of our politicians. Either way...let's get into this one....

FROM THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION:

Want to see how severe your REGULAR OLD FASHIONED GRANDMOTHER'S FLU is? I went ahead and used the CDCP to gather some data about the Classic Influenza vs. Swine Flu.

It is estimated that about 36,000 people died of flu-related causes each year, on average, during the 1990s in the United States. During these years, the number of estimated deaths ranged from 17,000 to 52,000.

Death rate extrapolations for USA only from REGULAR Flu:
63,729 per year
5,310 per month
1,225 per week
174 per day
7 per hour

Between 3 and 5 million people experience severe illness due to regular, seasonal flu around the world each year, and between 250,000 and 500,000 die as a result.

Let us put it into context....Remember the BIRD FLU pandemic that was sweeping the world? We were told that the threat was emminent and severe, right? Only 300 people have ever been affected by the bird flu (most in indonesia) and of those 300....about 2o of them were "confirmed" dead from the bird flu. 20. Twenty. Two-Zero. Yet it was a pandemic????

As of last night, there had been 20 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States, 19 in Mexico, and six in Canada. But in Mexico "the infection is suspected of causing as many as 86 deaths and more than 1,300 illnesses". I will also note here, that the MAJORITY of cases of "confirmed deaths" were of indivudals who already had major illnesses that weakened their immune systems, or of babies who's immune system struggles with the common cold. All other healthy individuals simply went home and got over it the same way that they did from classic influenza.

You'll also start to see the differences in confirmed and suspected. Person A coughed a couple times before dying...therefore I suspect he had swine flu. Now, the news (being the stand-up reporters they are) isn't reporting the confirmed cases too often, are they? You're more likely to hear the climing death toll and hospitalizations SUSPECTED to be caused by swine flu. Please know...this is intentional.

So we have a pandemic on our hands...do we?

A little history....In 1976, the Swine Flu pandemic was supposed to sweep the world. (Hey, much like a global FREEZE was emminent in the 1970s and everyone needed to go green and change their lives. Do we really not learn from these things?) Well, congress decided that they needed to do something to save the people. They voted to give out immunizations to the public. (sidenote: only two perceptive congressmen voted against this idea. Both were actual physicians.) That year...26 people died related to the situation. One was SUSPECTED to have died from the swine flu. The other 25 died from complications from the immunization that the government provided.

Anyways...to wrap this up - we'll do a little short list of facts:
1. The Swine Flu is no more lethal than the Classic Influenza Virus.
2. The Swine Flu is no more contagious than the Classic Influenza Virus.
3. The Swine Flu is passed along the EXACT SAME WAY that the Classic Influenza Virus is passed.
4. The Swine Flu has the EXACT SAME symptoms of the Classic Influenza Virus.
5. The Mortality Rate of the Classic Influenza Virus is .96 per cent - The Mortality Rate of the Swine Flu is .04 per cent.
6. You have a significantly stronger chance of winning the lottery twice than dying from the Swine Flu.
7. You have a signfiicantly stronger chance of contracting and dyning from HIV/AIDS or Tuberculosis than dying from Swine Flu.

What's my point with all of this? NOT AT ALL to downgrade the severity of this or any illness, but to simply reason out the HYSTERIA. The CLASSIC INFLUENZA is a lethal, dangerous, and severe sickness. If you have a weak immune system, it can be deadly....just as much as the swine flu. So rather than freaking out, cancelling everything you have planned, and being afraid of the outside world....simply start taking some responsibility to take care of your body and your health.

By the way...Is anyone else still waiting for the Killer Bees to come, bringing a Global Freeze in their wake, followed by the Bird Flu Pandemic, proceeded by the Global Warming, and topped off by Y2k?
:) Yah, me either...

Signed,
Aaron

P.S.
Here are some videos that will be the small glimmer of reason you see on mainstream media sources.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8JTqMsef6s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ty73YK8e0U&feature=player_embedded

Go Rockets!!

2009-05-01T08:52:00.003-05:00

i just need one good day of rest, then im ready for round 2

-Yao ming

GET RED!

2009-04-23T23:29:00.009-05:00

SO...

WE GOT 2 TICKETS TO GAME THREE OF THE ROCKETS VS. TRAILBLAZERS PLAYOFF SERIES TONIGHT (FRIDAY @ TOYOTA CENTER), AND WE ARE SOOOOOO PUMPED! OUR SEATS ARE RIGHT ABOVE THE TUNNEL WHERE THE ROCKETS RUN IN AND OUT OF THE GYM. ANYWAYS, WE'LL TRY TO BRING OUR CAMERAS AND DOCUMENT THE NIGHT, BUT BEFORE HAND - WE HAD TO MAKE SURE WE WERE ALL SET TO SHOW OUR TEAM SPIRIT. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Aaron:

His Car

His House Key

Rachel:

Her Bag

Her Car

Her intimidation stare...

Nina: (yep - even she got in on the action)

"Nina Rocket-Aaron-Brooks-Landry-Scola Tharpe"

as Rachel calls her in this outfit...

Her NBA sag...

This was her best MJ impression (check the tongue out!)

CLUTCH CITY '09! ARE YOU RED?

And don't worry.....

No animals were harmed in the making of this blog.

So Nina wasn't broke...

2009-04-21T08:48:00.009-05:00

but we still had to get her fixed :(

and she is SO bummed right now. please keep her in the doggy part of your prayers!

here comes the sun do da dee da

2009-04-20T08:44:00.008-05:00

feeling soooooooo much better this morning still hurts to swallow but a whole 24 hrs without fever!! and im feeling good

**also took little nina pup to the vet and they gave her something for her tapworms shes doing fine now :)

so thankful for healing in Jesus name!
so thankful for a husband who prayed over me, constantly made me check my temperture, gave me cold towels when my fever was too high and gave me my medicine when it was time to take it :)
so thankful to be up and around again
so thankful that the rockets destroyed the blazers in game 1 of the playoffs
so thankful that when my throat is all better we're going to wunsche bros. to celebrate!! :)

thanks for all the well wishes everyone!
-rachel

Look who had the worst week ever!

2009-04-18T15:58:00.004-05:00

-Taxes (aaron)

-Tonsillitis (rachel)

-Tapeworms (nina)

Coming Soon....

2009-04-13T13:43:00.007-05:00

Up to the highest height!

2009-04-04T14:32:00.011-05:00

Kite Day!

April Fool's Day

2009-04-01T14:09:00.018-05:00

aaron - Husband says (9:24 AM):

FREAKIN!

Rachel says (9:24 AM):

what??

Rachel says (9:33 AM):

babe??

aaron - Husband says (9:33 AM):

sorry...

Rachel says (9:34 AM):

whats wrong?

aaron - Husband says (9:34 AM):

went in the living room

aaron - Husband says (9:35 AM):

and nina had chewed a little hole in the couch armrest

aaron - Husband says (9:36 AM):

sorry....on the phone with macy's to see what we can do for patching it.

Rachel says (9:36 AM):

WHA!!!!

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?

aaron - Husband says (9:36 AM):

APRIL FOOLS!!!!!!!

aaron - Husband says (9:37 AM):

Rachel says (9:41 AM):

AARON!!!

aaron - Husband says (9:41 AM):

hahaha

Rachel says (9:46 PM):

oh very funny!

not!!!!!

Yum!

2009-04-01T12:48:00.009-05:00

A few weekends ago we decided to take advantage of a free saturday and do some serious cooking! i have this Frijoles a la charra (boracho beans) recipe ive been dying to try, we raced to HEB to pick up a few things we needed and started in on the cookin the bean recipie takes about FIVE HOURS in a slow cooker but they turned out so yummy it was definitely worth it. we also discovered the recipe for Pappasitos Montequilla (garlic-butter sauce) YESSS!!!
we were so very happy
Aaron cooked up some chicken fajitas and i made some spainish rice which i cant seem to make without burning the bottom of but according to aaron he likes it that way :)
it was a grand feast!

**recipes included below... enjoy! ;)

Frijoles a la Charra (AKA Boracho Beans)

PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 5 Hrs
READY IN 5 Hrs 15 Min

INGREDIENTS
1 pound dry pinto beans
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 (3.5 ounce) can sliced jalapeno peppers
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 12 0z can beer (optional)

1 tablespoon of beef bullion

**optional but highly recommended

DIRECTIONS
1.Place pinto beans in a slow cooker, and completely cover with water. Mix in garlic and salt. Cover, and cook 1 hour on High.
2.Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium high heat until evenly brown, but still tender. Drain about half the fat. Place onion in the skillet, and cook until tender. Mix in tomatoes and jalapenos, and cook until heated through. Transfer to the slow cooker, stirring into the beans.
3.Cover slow cooker, and continue cooking 4 hours on Low. Mix in the beer and cilantro about 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.

so i made just a few minor adjustments to this fab recipie i added a bit more cilantro, added the beef bullion and subtracted the jalapenos ( husband's request)

**you will also need to add a bit more water every now and then only if it seems like it needs it or if you prefer your beans more soupy ;)

this came out soo perfect we were both very pleased! its defintely a dish you'll have to plan ahead of time but well worth it!

Pappasitos montequilla (garlic-butter sauce)

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb butter

1 lb margarine

1 T (a big heaping) granule chicken bouillon (Knorrs is the BEST)

2 T finely chopped garlic (fresh is better but can use fresh chopped in jars)

1 cup white wine (Chardonnay is best)

DIRECTIONS:

Get butter and margarine to room temp. Mix all but the wine together (can use an electric mixer). This will be a peanut butter texture. Slowly blend in the wine. there will be little pockets of wine all around the butter just whip those in little by little

then heat on the stove till nice and frothy or in the microwave for 10 sec. intervals till frothy :)

this does make ALOT but it can be stored if rolled in saran wrap and kept in the freezer

we could not believe how much it taste exactly like pappasitos famous butter sauce!! you'll love this stuff!

Just Maybe....

2009-03-30T10:20:00.010-05:00

So maybe... we each took our puppy Nina to work with us last week (he on thursday, she on friday) and just maybe we discovered she's extremely obedient and is lovey and sweet to everyone she meets... maybe :)

So last night, we went campin'...

2009-03-27T13:39:00.011-05:00

So a few weeks back, we invested in our first tent. We have big plans for the summer (shameless plug for our previous post, I know) and camping is one of those plans!

Well, to be honest - we got sick and tired of waiting. The Texas weather outside didn't really allow for "comfortable" camping, (and I'm not sure our apartment complex would let us setup a tent in the grassy area) so we went ahead and set that bad boy up in the apartment!

We didn't quite realize how large this thing was. It essentially took up every bit of real-estate in the living room. I had to bust out my super-wide angle lens to even get a shot of us with it.

Anyway - we picked up some Frosties, threw every blanket and pillow we have in the tent and started up the new episode of the Office. After that, some Scrubs, then Nina decided it was sleepytime. (She's taken my place in the family as the "time to go to bed..." person.)

The only thing this night was missing, was maybe some smores, but we'll be better prepared next time. Just wait!

Tent + Frosties + Puppy + The Office + Scrubs + A/C ......

You do the Math!

Summer 2009

2009-03-24T15:22:00.004-05:00

"The Golden List"

"these are the best days of our lives!..... back in the summer of 2009"

This will be our first married summer, so we're gonna make it the best summer EVER!! ;)

Meet the Newest Little Tharpey!

2009-03-23T16:22:00.008-05:00

We would like you to meet the newest addition to the Tharpeys...

Her name is Nina Yvette Tharpe. She is our 5mo. old Miniature Pinscher/Chihuahua mix (AKA: Min Pin / Chi). She is a rescued pet that we adopted this weekend. Apparently from what they know, she had been tossed out shortly after birth and was found in a wooded area by someone who was able to leave food for her until she trusted him and he could take her to a shelter.

She's made herself right at home with us. She's PERFECT for us. She's the most affectionate dog I've known, and loves to just be around us all day. She follows us everywhere. Lays down with us when we lay down. Plays with us when we want to play. It's like she's been with us since she was born. She's got long little slender legs, a little-bitty body, and acts as "regal" as any show-dog i've seen. She knows who Rachel and I both are already and we've had a blast with her so far. You're sure to read many more posts involving her...but for now. we'll just leave it small and sweet. (just like her!)

What you may have missed..

2009-03-17T11:37:00.041-05:00

In honor of our four month Anniversary this past monday, here's
a quick little recap of our past happenings :)

1. WE GOT MARRIED!
November 16, 2008

2. We went to Mexico (*Sigh* I do miss that paradise!)

3. We moved into a beautiful two bedroom apartment just perfect for the two of us

4. We went to San Francisco for the Maintenance Connection (aaron's company) Christmas Party! We rode the trolley went to china town and rode the b.a.r.t. (very scary) we didnt get to see the golden gate bridge tho hmm.. guess we'll just have to go back :)

"What ever happened to Predictability?!?!" - Cary Yocum

5.We had our very first married christmas, and started our first tradition of a huge Christmas Morning breakfast with Texas Shaped waffles yum!

6. We went on a Road Trip to Austin! We saw the capitol, ate AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS Bar-B-Que and made some all around great memories :)

7. We had a great V-day! We ordered pappasitos to go and made chocolate covered strawberries! We figured everybody and their momma would be out on the town so we got our delicious fajitas to go i picked up some strawberries from the market, and aaron cleaned the whole house and set it up with candles and flowers. What a Guy!! :)

AND SOOOOOOO MUCH MORE!

Btw...we love being married. we have lots of fun. we're in love.

Signed,

The Tharpeys :)

Endtroducing...

2009-03-12T15:17:00.012-05:00

Salutations one and all! Welcome to our fresh little blog...
Its true we've joined the blog-o-sphere. We've made this very conscious decision after much cautious deliberation. Here is the data that we came up with.....

A. people in general like you better when you have blog. (its true we've done the research)

B. people don't believe stories you tell them unless you've blogged it WITH pictures. (and at least in that case, they can forward it on to all of the people that you've never met, but definitely should hear that story.)

C. "grown ups" admittedly like to creep around people's blogs to "keep up" with their lives. (don't worry, we don't expect many comments from the creepers, but we know you're there!)

D. blogging is so cool, that even the UNCOOL people have been doing it for years.

E. we can't get anyone to return our phone calls or emails. they all want us to "hit them up on their blog". WE'RE DOING THIS TO SAVE OUR FRIENDSHIPS!!!!

F. how else will be able to share our abundance of sarcastic and dry observations of the world around us to those we love?

G. if we had our way...we'd probably be social hermits. we love spending time with eachother. we love staying home. we love working on things together. we love making things together. we love doing things together. we're not really the type to need to "hit the town" with our seperate gangs or anything. we're both fairly simple....yet we have many people we love with our whole hearts and would do anything for. when we're with those people, we enjoy every minute. we think about and talk about those friends and family all the time - we just aren't motivated enough to "set things up". so now we can blog with the ones we love AND NO ONE IS GONNA STOP US!

You may ask yourself..."What should I expect of this blog?" That's a great question! Here's a great answer:
- You should expect short and sweet spurts of highlights in our life.
- You should expect several picture posts. (a picture says 1,000 words. remember? you learned this already....)
- You should expect random observations regarding just about any topic.
- You should not expect daily journaling of any sort.
- You also shouldn't expect TOO MANY gushy details about our lives...but you'll get the general idea.

Needless to say....this should be very interesting.

MUCH LOVE!
-Mr. & Mrs. Tharpey