Two Years And Counting

Ryan and I decided to take a quick, three day weekend trip to San Antonio for our two year anniversary. We didn't plan too much of the trip and instead just relaxed and played around in town. On Friday, we went to see the River Parade and Lighting at the San Antonio Riverwalk. We had a wonderfully romantic table on the riverwalk at Paesano's restaurant. The food was amazing, we had the perfect view of the parade, and the weather was unbelievably perfect. Usually it is pretty cold this time of year in San Antonio, but not this year. So great! We then came back to the room where Ryan had secretly ordered Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. So sweet!

On Saturday, Ryan took me around town and showed me a ton of places he hung out at when he was younger. Growing up in San Antonio, he was able to show me some neat things. We drove by his high school, childhood home, his old church and more. He told me all about different parts of town and places he hung out as a kid. We then went to the Quarry Market and shopped around a bit. It was a ton of fun.

Saturday night was my favorite. We went to Plaza Club in downtown San Antonio for dinner. While I have been to quite a few Club Corp country clubs to eat, this was by far my favorite! The service was above and beyond and the food was the best I've ever had. The view of the city was also spectacular. A very romantic night indeed! And, yes, we ordered chocolate strawberries again. Yum!!

Sunday we didn't do much. We ran by Fair Oaks Ranch Country Club because we thought about playing golf. Unfortunately it was way too cold and windy. So, we ended up leaving and heading to Jim's for lunch. It is like a local IHOP, but much tastier. We did stop at The Czech Stop on they way home, as always. Happy two year annviersary!!

Thankful

Thanksgiving was pretty darn amazing this year. Ryan started off the day running the Turkey Trot while I headed over to Mom and Dad's.  Once I picked him up at the DART station, it was just us and my Mom and Dad for a little while, which was nice. After about an hour Laurel, Ryan's sister, showed up with her boyfriend, also conveniently named Ryan. It was a real fun day with my husband Ryan, Laurel's boyfriend Ryan and my dad Brian. Whew!

We sat, talked and noshed on our Graves family tradition appetizer lunch. After a couple of hours, my Aunt Mare and her boyfriend Bob came over. So, for an hour or so, it was quite the full house with eight of us. Although I wish they could have all stayed for dinner, Laurel and boyfriend Ryan headed off to her cousin's house and Bob left to visit with his daughter. That left me, Ryan, Mom, Dad and Mare to share a wonderful Thanksgiving meal together.

Almost Turkey Time

So, it's almost Thanksgiving and, although I'm not a big Turkey Day person, it's always great to spend time with family. Thanksgiving isn't really my thing because I am not a big turkey person. Although my husband makes the best turkey I've ever tasted, I really don't like the bird or it's counterpart, gravy.

Anyway, this year we are headed to my parent's house where Ryan will cook all day, filling the house with wonderful, calorie-free smells. We are responsible for the turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans and pumpkin pie. My mom is making sweet potatoes and a pistachio salad. She is also making things to nosh on throughout the day and during the Cowboys game. Of course we will also be watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, one of my favorites, as soon as Ryan gets to the house after he and some friends run the 2011 Turkey Trot in Downtown Dallas.

It's shapping up to be fun holiday. Pictures to follow!

A Saturday Treat

Somehow I became a part of the Tiff's Treats email distribution list. I have only been to Tiff's Treats once with a friend of mine. It was the downtown Dallas location, which may have been the first local one. Anyway, I received an email about their Grand Opening event in Richardson. Since all of the proceeds went to the Make-A-Wish foundation, in particular to a little boy named Jackson, and they were selling a dozen cookies for $3 each, I had to go.

Ryan and I got there about 11:30am. The line wasn't too long, maybe about 30 or so ahead of us. The radio station Mix 102.9 was there and Jimmy John's went along the line and gave out free sandwiches. At around 12pm, we were still in line, and Jackson arrived in a limo with his family. Jackson is a sweet little 7 year old boy who has a brain tumor and his Make-A-Wish is to go on a cruise with his family. He was so incredibly sweet and even helped take cookie orders and deliver them to awaiting hands. Also, Tiff herself was their with her founding partner. It seems they both go to all of the Grand Openings. That was neat and nice of them.

At about 12:30pm we got to the front of the line and decided to order the maximum of 6 dozen cookies, 2 each of Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip and Snickerdoodle. The other neat thing about the event is that they had $6,000 worth of prizes hidden in the boxes. That means that we had six chances to win. They had a table set up when you walked out of the store to check each box for a prize. They checked ours and we won...a pair of Dallas Zoo tickets. Ugh, Ryan and I are both not zoo people. Oh well. It was nice to win.  But wait, once we got out to our car and opened one of the boxes we found we had also won tickets to the Dallas Opera. Yay! Much more our thing! The tickets are worth $143 each and we are excited to go.

So for $20, all of which goes to Jackson's wish, Ryan and I got 6 dozen cookies, two tickets to the Dallas Zoo and two tickets to the Dallas Opera. Not a bad haul for a good cause. We even delivered a box of warm, fresh cookies to my parents, so we spread the wealth.

I will be on the lookout, hoping that Tiff's Treats will have many more grand openings we can attend and both enjoy cookies and support a great cause!

Returning Home

Now, since it's Facebook official and all, I am excited to say that Ryan has been offered a job back at ClubCorp, the company he worked at before Interstate Batteries. He will be their HRIS and Compensation Analyst. He is excited to be back as he really liked working with the staff there. His official start date with CC is November 18. I know he is really excited and even for me, it really does feel like coming back home.

Blue Fish

So this post is to talk about my recent job search. I haven't been working for the past three months, but have instead been looking for a job I will truly love. I was top two for a nonprofit position in Dallas that I really wanted, or at least I thought I did. But then came UT Southwestern. This is my dream place to work!  This is why I went to school and got my MBA and MHSM (Masters in Health Sector Management).

Just yesterday I was offered a position as an Administrative Associate. I was very excited and loved the people whom I interviewed with. The only thing was is that I had also interviewed with another department at UT Southwestern that I liked as well, and they were hiring for a Senior Administrative Associate position. This higher level position paid a bit more and had a increased level of challenge and responsibility. I immediately contacted this department to alert them that I had been offered another position, but would very much like to work for them.  I was so nervous as to what may happen!

Just 24 hours later, I recieved an offer for the Senior Administrative Associate position!  I am so excited! You are looking at the new Sr. Administrative Associate for Pediatric Gastroenterology at UT Southwestern Medical Center!