We're back!

We had a wonderful time with our families over the past 2 weeks. We even got to sneak in a couple get-together with friends who were in town. Splitting 11 1/2 days amongst 3 families just doesn't give us enough time with any of them. Yet a ton of eating was done, (we were able to hit El Mirasol a total of 4 times!) a little bit of shopping was squeezed in, family game nights, and tons of wedding events we got to share in for one of Brandon's sisters. With our poor picture taking remembering skills, we were only able to capture a few of the wonderful moments.

My Fam! After taking 870 pictures, this is still the best one (with still not everyone looking).

Two of our favoritest people. (I know thats not truly a word.) Thanks again for treating us to breakfast.

There it is!

*Insert picture of Brandon's dad and Karen. We do have one its in the processing of being obtained.

Brandon's mom, Ken and Brit!

Now to catch up on all the things we have ignored forgotten to do over the past 3 weeks.

Almost There...

We have had a marvelous, relaxing time here in Germany. Oh yes, for those who don't know, we are in Germany this week. We got to take a mini-vaca, before our 2 week vaca to take care of some minor medical things.

It is cold and wet here. We got to see our snow, remaining from a couple of weeks ago when there was snow everywhere, but no snow flurries have been falling during in our time here.

We have not been as adventurous as we were on our last trip here, just taking it easy. We've walked around a couple cities, eaten some good food, and you wouldn't believe how many people we have run into from Lajes, here.

Today is our last day, plans were to go to Heidelberg again, but sleeping in and not rushing all day won over.

We fly into Lajes tomorrow to check-up on our son, unpack and repack. Two full days of flying ahead and we will be on Texas soil. :) See you soon!!

Bells

 Look at that preciousness! Before anyone Hillary S. gets excited she is not ours. Our neighbor, who also has a basset hound found her on lajesads and couldn't say no. Where on the other hand I live with some one who unfortunately said no. This is me driving back from picking up Mason's new girlfriend with my neighbor. Yes, he has 2 now, Remember his original one, they are now residing in the same residence.

This past Monday, me and Mas got to puppysit. Oh the small joys in life. :) Her name is Bells. She is just 5 weeks old and we just might have to make the babysitting thing a weekly occurrence. She is just too dang cute.

The New Year.

The ringing in of the New Year has once again come and gone. We kept with all of our "new traditions" we intend to implement that I spoke of here.

I wanted to share with y'all our 2011 Things We Will Strive to Accomplish List for the 2 people that might care.

Brandon

1. Make an “excellent” on PT test.

• An excellent is received by obtaining an overall score of 90 or above. Besides the numerical standpoint, it also warrants a day-off as well as no PT testing for a year. A mandatory test is given every 6 months, the next one is scheduled in May then November would be the 2nd one for this year, so he will have 2 tries this year to get it done.

2. Complete at least 30 credit hours for school.

• With CDCs still looming, "normal" school will not start back up again until hopefully this summer. CDCs completed will already add 6 credit hours for his degree plan. He will then have, more semesters than I can count this early in the morning, to complete the 24 more credit hours before 2012. Definitely doable.

3. Complete OTS package!!

• This is the big one. To make the switch from enlisted to officer, an active member can apply for OTS (Officer Training School) one year out. Completing bullet point 2 will get B to this point, the rest will be in God's hands.

Jacki

1. Learn a new language.

• Now, the obvious language choice would be Portuguese, you would think. However, I feel in the long run this will not be as beneficial as becoming actually fluent in Spanish. We will see which route I decide to follow, maybe it'll end up being both.

2. Visit at least 6 different countries.

• It is so doable, promise. We are headed to Germany in a week, thats 1. I am not counting our trip to the states after because that is too easy. So then are long awaited vacation/cruise will be happening this spring, and after that I may only need 1 or 2 more countries. After saving up leave for a little over a year, it is time to use it! I guess I can say I take after my ma in not doing well in staying stationary for an extended period of time.

3. Read 18 books this year.

• For some this may sound super easy, and I agree. I am pretty consistent in starting a book and then not finishing it for weeks later. I am a fast reader and all, this tasks is really more about be more disciplined in actually sitting down and reading. So rather than putting on another episode of Lost (our new favorite) I will try to take the last hour of every night to knock this one out.

And there you have it. Now, that you have read them you now have the official responsibility of making sure we accomplish them. Happy New Year!!

Goodbye 2010.

Another new year is coming. Are you ready?

We intend to give a proper good-bye to 2010 this evening, a nap may have to be squeezed in at some point today in order to make it to midnight.


In the Morris household, we are beginning some new traditions that will hopefully continue longer than this year. :) Last year, we were soaking up the sunny rays in Miami, literally. It was December, and we were sun-bathing with the other thousands on the beaches, you can't really beat that.

See there we are, sunny skies!

New Years Eve 2010 was spent looking at fireworks from the balcony, toasting with champagne, and indulging in a very very tasty Lasagna. So this year, although we cannot recreate the 85 degree weather, we can recreate the incredibly delicious lasagna. You can say we are trading in the black-eyed peas for some cheese and pasta!

Yummmmmmmmmm

As well, we intend to sit down tomorrow and write out at least 3 things we individually want to accomplish in the New Year. Now these are not resolutions, there will be no "I will eat less chocolate starting Jan. 1" or things like that but more along the lines of "I will actually learn Portuguese". Will see what we come up with.

Feliz Ano Novo!!

363 Days in Counting.

We have successfully stuffed our bellies all weekend along, opened countless presents until next year (Thank you family, you spoil us.), heard enough Christmas music to nauseate our ears, and most importantly celebrated and reflected on the birth of our Savior so many years ago. Yet now, the fridge is full of leftovers, presents have been all put away, the Christmas tunes have been turned off, sadly, one more week of Christmas decorations, and they will have to come down, and we had to say good-bye to Mr. Grizzles.

Our merry and bright weekend, started with a gorgeous sunny day of 70 degrees, clear skies and NO rain or wind!! We had B's office Christmas party to attend as well as the Christmas Eve candlelight service at our church. A full day of "Merry Christmases" just to gear us up for the next day. We couldn't go to bed without taking a sneak-peak into Santa's presents and watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original). Santa came all the way to the Azores to give us this... Thank you!!!!!

                                        

Christmas morning and a slew of presents later it was time for the Christmas festivities to begin. B and hosted a Christmas brunch for a handful of our friends. Tasty food, delightful conversation, and a full house makes you forget you are 3000 miles away from "home".

The rest of the day we skyped with our families, made Christmas dinner and you cannot have Christmas without an Elf viewing.

The 26th came upon us, and Christmas was still going. :) We heard our last Christmas sermon at church and then some friends invited us over for one more Christmas meal and celebration! 

Now, it's Monday *sigh*. We go back on vacation in a mere 11 days, so there is really no room to complain.

We hope you all had a wonderfully blessed Merry Christmas with friends and family. 

Pure Entertainment.

There never seems to be a dull moment here (unless you count the hours we spent working on a puzzle yesterday evening), there is always something of intrigue. Last weekend, we were privileged enough to see a several thousand pound sperm whale made of pure chocolate at the First International Festival of Chocolate in the Azores. This was made complete with multiple spotlights, as well, as whale noises in the background. It was as if we were in the ocean.

This weekend, on our routine morning route to the Organic Market, our five minute drive turned into almost twenty when we got stuck behind a herd of cows moving pastures. Now I do not have any pictures to document this event, so you will have to use your very best imagination skills. Imagine, a countless amount of cows moving at less than 1mph, stopping to smell each and every grass blade. In the midst of this, cars are coming every which way at you, neglecting all traffic signs, laws and direction, and you cannot forget our precious son we have in our backseat terrified of the large black and white images passing him. So as we continue on our merry way along a very slanted hill, which has more blindspots in it then you can count, we finally see the open road. 

The fun was not yet over for the day! :) That rare windless evening, we decided to walk the streets of Angra, and enjoy the music and Christmas lights on display. 

Well the music only lasted about the first 10 minutes we were there, but soon came sirens blaring. The normal in these parts, is seeing ambulances or police cars with sirens going, but no noise, and no one bothers to move out of there way. Very bizzare. So hearing these noises got us curious, and to our delight it was Santa!! His first appearance for us here on the island. We felt almost as if we were back in the United States. Our reality soon came back, when we saw a "real" Christmas tree.

It really was him, even though we didn't get a shot of his face.

Can you see the comparison?