outer space

Raking Leaves and Other Fun Activities

2008-11-30T22:12:00.000-05:00

We came up with all kinds of activities to keep Katherine busy. Below, we're coloring on paper plates. Katherine was thrilled--it was the first time anyone had let her color on a plate!

Katherine and Deedee are painting a ladybug. (Check out the big bird mug. That was Tasha's cup from when she was a kid...thanks to Nancy for saving it!)

Katherine made the mistake of telling Uncle Matt that she LOVES raking leaves. He had her in our backyard raking immediately, although we didn't have too many leaves for her to rake. In the pic below, she is demonstrating her mummy pose.

Somebody needs to tell Uncle Matt that these gloves and the rake are way too big!

Christmas Lights!

2008-11-30T22:03:00.000-05:00

On Thanksgiving day, we put up the lights on the bushes and on our sidewalk, but we waited for Kla and Tony to arrive on Saturday for help with the stars.

Tony is reading the label on the extension cord package, letting us know that it is for "indoor use only." Pshaw! (ok, we used a different cord...only b/c Tasha didn't belive in Kla's rationale that most of the cord would be under the porch.)

Clearly, Tasha is in charge. Or, at least she's the one having the most fun!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2008-11-30T21:56:00.000-05:00

Kla, Katherine, Donna & Tony came to College Station for a late Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday. We put up our Christmas tree, and Katherine helped us put on the ornaments. Below, the finished tree. Note that the majority of the ornaments are clustered on the bottom half of the tree :)

Katherine wins the award for the cutest 5 year old. (The white dot on her cheek is a small sticker of a radio. She called it her "beauty mark." It stayed on all day.)

San Diego, Part 2

2008-11-30T21:43:00.000-05:00

Wendy and I spent Sunday afternoon at the San Diego Zoo. (Really, we were all working hard at the convention. Really.)

I'm afraid I have no pics of us looking at the animals, but the above pics are just a few of our favorite animals. We probably spent the most time with the gorillas (at one point, two gorillas approached each other and hugged....so cute).

San Diego, Part 1

2008-11-30T21:34:00.000-05:00

I (Tasha) was in San Diego for five days for a convention. Great place--will definitely go back.

Above, the view from our hotel room. Yep, it's a tough life. Thanks to Wendy for making our reservations again, and scoring such a great view!!

Kristy and I spent most of Sunday at Balboa Park. This pic is of the roots of a HUGE tree. Amazing.

Me in the Japanese friendship garden. The garden was a disappointment--very small, not much to see, except for the Koi (see below).

Gabriele and Andy's wedding

2008-07-25T18:36:00.000-04:00

We had a great time at Gabriele and Andy's wedding on July 11th. It was HOT, but it was lovely. The Woods family pulled off a beautiful celebration of a beautiful couple. YAY!

Matt and his dad at the brunch the morning after the wedding. We all woke up early and started cooking immediately. Lindy had an amazing brunch menu planned, and we pulled it off!

Aunt Flo & Gabs

The bride and groom...so sweet!

At the wedding, we met up with Randy and Debbie Upchurch--better known as Brad's parents.

The bride and groom leaving through a sea of bubbles.

First dance...

The Dubriwnys--get a room!

Gabriele & Ray dancing--

Dallas with Nic & Ash

2008-07-25T18:25:00.000-04:00

Ash & Nic were in Dallas a while back for a conference, so we decided to join them for the weekend. In addition to seeing a Rangers game, we stopped by Dealey Plaza and the Texas School Book Depository building. It's a bit of tourist trap now, but it was interesting to stand on the grassy knoll, look around, and recognize all of the buildings, scenery, etc. from the pictures in our history books.

This is a memorial to JFK a few blocks away from Dealey Plaza.

The Oregon Coast

2008-06-02T19:37:00.000-04:00

We had a great time exploring the Oregon coast with Vicki, Sarah, Nancy, and Grandma.

The lovebirds. Nancy made us take this picture.

So cute!

Why is Sarah hiding in the background?

The view from Cape Perpetua.

Having fun!

This is the staircase (above) and the light (below) from the Yaquina Bay lighthouse.

Coffee break at Newport.

Oregon Wine Country

2008-06-02T19:23:00.000-04:00

We just got back from a wonderful trip to Washington and Oregon. These pics are from our day touring Oregon wineries with Tasha's family. The weather was a bit cloudy and chilly, but we managed to stay warm by sampling the wine at Airlie, Williamette, and Eola vineyards.

Aunt Vicki and the most beautiful flower in Oregon.

Having fun at Eola.

The ladies--looking good!

The view at Airlie.

Terry, Vicki, and Sarah...and several port-a-potties.

Note that Tasha and Nancy are very well prepared for the Oregon weather!

Washington on the Brazos

2008-04-20T18:13:00.000-04:00

Gabriele and Andy came up with the great idea of having a picnic at the Washington-on-the-Brazos historic site/state park. A bit of Texas state history: the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed on March 2, 1836 in the town of Washington (on the Brazos river, of course). The park actually encompasses the historic town site and is a great place to see lots of Texas wildflowers in the spring.

Yummy food! Thanks to Gabs and Andy for providing sandwich fixings, drinks, and chips!

This is Matt's favorite photo. We walked along this trail for about an hour. The weather was truly perfect (sunny, not too hot).

All we need in this photo is a cow or a horse, and it would be 100% Texas!

Gabriele and Matt in front of "Independence Hall."

Beautiful flowers. We need to buy a Texas wildflowers book, because I have no idea what these are!

Fall & Winter Update

2008-04-20T17:37:00.000-04:00

WOW! Is it really spring already? We've been slackers about our blog--so sorry we haven't been putting up pictures on a more regular basis. This post is basically a random assortment of photos from the past few months. Enjoy!

The Dubriwny clan gathered in Tulsa in December for our reception. This is our nephew Jacob and his fabulous dinosaur hat.

Christmas with the folks. Dad received this "angel/santa/chef" from Grandma Betty.

Back outside with the boys...

Cosby really wanted to be playing ball with Jacob and Ive Jr., but Mr. Nic wouldn't let him!

Finding the perfect dress for the reception took about 15 minutes. We took this photo to send to my mom to get her opinion. Our Christmas tree looks pretty sad next to Amazon woman!

We spent Thanksgiving in Tulsa. Cosby is waiting eagerly for bits of flying turkey. He was well fed that afternoon. (Dad only sliced two of his fingers!!)

Our pumpkin for Halloween.

The family at Thanksgiving. Thanks to Nic and Ash for being such great hosts!

The dudes abide.

PDX

2007-09-14T19:16:00.000-04:00

We spend Labor Day weekend in Portland, OR for Brad's wedding. Our time was brief...we were in town for less that 48 hours. Next time, we're definitely staying longer!

On Saturday morning we met up with Mike, Vicki, Sarah, and Jesse for a great brunch at a place called the Mississippi Station. Note the beautiful weather and the fantastic sitting area outside. Wow.

The wedding was held in a park in the early evening...

Proud members of the Sooner nation.

Cate loves her camera...

Perhaps we need a camera like Cate's! These shots didn't turn out too well, but they give you a sense of how lovely the event was.

a quick trip to tulsa...

2007-09-14T19:07:00.000-04:00

We made a quick trip up to Tulsa back in August to celebrate a few birthdays and relax before school started!

Birthday dinner for Nic and Tasha at the Red Rock Canyon restaurant.

Nic and Ash and the Arkansas river

Tasha and Matt and the Arkansas River

The gang...and the river.

Check out our wedding reception blog.

2007-09-09T16:26:00.000-04:00

We have created a wedding reception blog. Check it out here: www.receptiondec29.blogspot.com

SeaWorld San Antonio

2007-07-08T17:51:00.000-04:00

This weekend we met up with K3, Laura, and Diana in San Antonio and took a trip to SeaWorld. We had a great time, and it didn't rain on us! Thanks so much to Laura and Diana for being such great hosts!
Katherine's first purchase of the day---her very own Shamu!

Laura and Diana consult with Katherine about where to go first. Katherine's answer: the rollercoaster! We managed to squeeze in a visit to the dolphin pool first!

Kimberley, Katherine, Kla, Laura and Diana try to bring the dolphins to our side of the pool.

Katherine's face is pretty typical for the day: she's not quite sure if she's having a great time, or if she's just miserable!

Official members of the Woods family consult the map again!

The rollercoaster, the "Shamu Express," was definitely the highlight of Katherine's day! Aunt Laura was the only one brave enough to ride with her :)

If you think we look like a tired, sweaty bunch, you are right!

Katherine taking a nap during the Shamu show. We were all so sad to that she missed part of the show, because she had been talking all day about seeing "Shampoo"!

The whole group...ready to go home and eat dinner!

Wedding Pics!

2007-06-06T17:44:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful time in Savannah! We're in Forsyth Park. We did not bring our tripod, so we relied on a couple of strangers to take a few pictures of us!

We had our wedding night dinner at 700 Drayton, a restaurant right across the street from Forsyth park.
After spending a few hours with our photographer, we went back to our room and took a few pictures with our own camera.

This is, according to our tour book, the most photographed fountain in the South. The fountain is located very close to the entrance of Forsyth Park.
The little rose that I'm holding was given to me by a street merchant.

The Wedding!

2007-05-15T17:46:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Nic and Ashley! They got married over the weekend, and everything was just perfect. The weather was sunny (not raining!), the bride was beautiful, and the groom was looking quite handsome!

Matt giving his toast!

Grandma turned out to be the best dancer of the night!

The day before the wedding...

2007-05-15T17:28:00.000-04:00

These pictures were all taken at the wedding rehearsal. Nic and Ashley chose a beautiful location for their wedding--the gardens at the Old Governor's Mansion in Frankfort, KY.

Sarah and Chelsea having fun!

The groomsmen. Matt is wishing he had his sunglasses!
Nic and Ashley practicing their vows.

Mom looking pretty in pink!

The bridesmaids.

Adventures in Aggieland!!

2007-05-07T19:02:00.000-04:00

We spent the past weekend travelling through the Bryan/College Station area, looking for a new place to live, hanging out with Donna and Tony, and touring the campus. We had a great time! Enjoy the photos!
A statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross, a former A&M President. I'm not quite sure why, but it's a tradition for students to put pennies on his boots for good luck during finals week.

The 12th man!!! He even stood still long enough for us to take his picture!
Perhaps the most important stop on our tour of Aggieland: the Reveille burial ground!
We lucked out during our trip to College Station. Although it was overcast most of the time, it never rained on us! Plus, all of the flowers were blooming!

You can't take a trip to Aggieland with going to the Bush museum. Well, actually, we just kind of drove by and took a few pictures. Maybe next time!

The Bonfire Memorial

2007-05-07T18:57:00.000-04:00

These are all pics of the Bonfire Memorial. If you don't know the story, check out the memorial website at http://www.tamu.edu/bonfirememorial/index.html . We spent quite a bit of time here...very moving.

Bolton Hall and the Century Oak

2007-05-07T18:51:00.000-04:00

This is Bolton Hall, my new office building. Lovely! Of course, the best thing about Bolton Hall is the Century Oak, a live oak that is right outside of the main entrance. Cadets are often seen here proposing to their girlfriends (note that Matt and I are simply sitting and enjoying the view)!

This building is the Academic Building and it houses Women's Studies. On the rather flat campus of A&M, the building stands out because of its dome. Lucky for me, Bolton Hall and the Academic Building are right next to each other!

Our new house...

2007-05-07T18:45:00.000-04:00

This lovely little house is our new home! It's small, but it is in a cute area of town. Plus, we are saving lots of $$$ on rent!

Matt finally decided that he could live in Bryan/College Station when we went to the Farm Patch, the local farmer's market. They also have a butcher shop--what would we do with vegetables if we didn't have meat to go with it??!
My new favorite place to eat. Fabulous fried chicken. French fries served with gravy. Need I say more?
Just a fun pic...cattle on the roof!

Sights in Bryan...

2007-05-07T18:37:00.000-04:00

These are all pictures of lovely downtown Bryan. Our new house is just a few miles away!

Lakeland, FL Frank Lloyd Wright

2007-04-01T18:14:00.000-04:00

This is what we did this weekend-Go see the largest concentration of Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture in the world, see the Cincinnati Reds play some spring ball against Tampa Bay, and juice about 3 dozen grapefruit. We are trying to pack-in all of Florida before we leave. By the way, the weather is terrible.

Christmas in Shreveport

2007-02-09T18:15:00.000-05:00

Christmas in Tulsa

2007-02-09T18:05:00.000-05:00

Which one??

2007-02-09T18:04:00.000-05:00

We got new wheels while we were in Tulsa! It was a tough choice, but we had to take Grandpa's truck!

Thanksgiving with Tex and Joshua

2006-12-10T13:26:00.000-05:00

We had a great time with Tex and Joshua over Thanksgiving. Over the course of just a few days Matt got to take more than one cat-nap with Zach, Tex made the best Turkey ever, and Tasha did her best to stay out of the kitchen!

Pics of Ivan Jr.

2006-09-19T20:02:00.000-04:00

Having fun in the sun in Tulsa!

Surfside Beach, July 2006

2006-07-14T12:24:00.000-04:00

The Woods/Stellman families gathered in Surfside, TX for our annual 4th of July celebration. We had a great time, even though it did rain for most of the week!

Christening the Jade Rose

2006-07-14T12:11:00.000-04:00

As part of our July 4th celebration, we helped christen Donna and Tony's new boat/home, the Jade Rose.

Father's Day

2006-06-21T17:56:00.000-04:00

M visited Edmond as a surprise for Father's Day!

Visiting Oklahoma, June 2006

2006-06-21T17:26:00.000-04:00

We visited T's family in Tulsa over the weekend and had a blast! We also had a chance to meet the grandpuppy, Cosby, who is featured in many of these pictures.

Back in Athens, May '06

2006-06-04T14:35:00.000-04:00

We travelled back to Athens for Tex's baby shower in May. We had a wonderful time (congrats Tex)! Thanks to J and E for being such great hosts while we were in town!

The Everglades

2006-04-16T12:15:00.000-04:00

We went to the everglades this weekend and it was fabulous! (Don't worry folks--we were at least 10 feet from the alligators at all times!)

San Francisco, April 2006

2006-04-10T18:32:00.000-04:00

We wish we could have been there!! (Looks like Grandpa and Ivan, Jr. are having a blast!)

Picture day at the beach!

2006-03-25T13:24:00.000-05:00

Having fun at home....

2006-03-25T13:06:00.000-05:00

Busch Gardens

2006-03-25T12:45:00.000-05:00

We had a blast at Busch Gardens. It was a beautiful day and all of us--especially Katherine--enjoyed seeing the animals on the train ride. Thanks so much to P.G. for making this day possible!

Manatees!!

2006-02-19T16:18:00.000-05:00

We took time this weekend to go and see one of the more unique sites of Florida...the manatees that gather around Tampa Electric Company's Apollo Beach power station. The manatees are attracted to the warm waters that are released by the plant. As the tour brochures promise, this is one place "Where Nature Meets Technology." The electric company has quickly picked up on the manatees' presence as a PR gimmick--they have created a "Manatee Viewing Center" and a refreshment stand. Positive messages abound, with colorful signs informing visitors about the wonders of both the manatees and the modern electric plant! Nevertheless, we had a great time seeing the manatees (one of Florida's endangered species and known as the "sea cow"). This is a must see if you are ever in the area!

San Francisco, October 2005

2006-01-31T18:42:00.000-05:00

Gasparilla

2006-01-29T10:25:00.000-05:00

Every year Tampa re-enacts the historical invasion of pirate Jose Gaspar. (The re-enactments began in 1904 and have since grown enormously. Over 500,000 people were expected at "Gasparilla" this year.) The event includes the Gasparilla Flotilla (Jose Gaspar and thousands of other boats) going up the Seddon Channel toward downtown Tampa. After lots of cannon fire, the mayor of our defenseless city surrenders (giving the Key of the city of Tampa to the Captain of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla)--and then apparently invites those horrible pirates to parade down Bayshore! We had a blast with hundreds of thousands of our closest (and amazingly drunk) friends!

Comments are welcome!

2006-01-18T21:00:00.000-05:00

Hi friends and family,
We've managed to change the settings so that you can leave comments if you wish! Give it a try!

-t

Pics from New Orleans--New Year's Eve '05

2006-01-18T20:38:00.000-05:00

Old pics from San Francisco, February 2005

2006-01-16T15:21:00.000-05:00

tampa lights, a public art show in downtown Tampa. 01/07/06. The building being used as canvas is the beautiful University of Tampa's Plant Hall.

2006-01-16T15:11:00.000-05:00

a little more

2006-01-03T18:43:00.000-05:00

We love the wildlife. These birds are loud and always travel in pairs.

some more holiday photos. T's parents came to see us.

2006-01-03T18:31:00.000-05:00

I have created this space as a place for all of you to visit and see some photos. Check it out, let me know.

2005-12-29T10:28:00.000-05:00

steep learning curve with this thing, only 5 pics at a time?

2005-12-29T10:21:00.000-05:00

more still

2005-12-29T10:16:00.000-05:00

current favorites

2005-12-29T10:05:00.000-05:00

hey y'all

2005-12-29T10:02:00.000-05:00

I have created outer space as a place for all of you to visit and check out some photos. Check it out, let me know.