Going Away Party

Our friends, Rusty and Jennifer Woolley, hosted a going away party for us in their new home on Saturday night. The theme was "Kyle and Melanie are 'desserting' us" so they served a variety of yummy desserts. It was a great chance to see our friends before our move to Georgetown. Kyle had taken his Board Exam earlier that day, so it was also a celebration that it was behind him.

Rusty & Jennifer


Kyle with Jennifer, Jamie & Kuy

Paige & Phil

Aaron, Stephanie & Caleb

Kimberly & Madison

Gina & Clint

Adam & Jasmine

Last Day at O'Neill Hill

After 3-1/2 great years at O'Neill Hill and Associates, it was time to for me (Melanie) to say goodbye at the end of June. Being a designer at the firm was a wonderful experience for me, and allowed me to grow in my career and gain valuable knowledge and training in corporate and healthcare design. Some of my favorite projects include St.Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Columbus Children's Hospital, the offices of Freeport LNG, People's Energy, and several others. When I started in January 2004, there were 10 employees, and now there are 30. O'Neill Hill was my home away from home, and I will miss the projects and the people I am used to seeing everyday.
On my last day, almost everyone was able to go to my farewell lunch. Kyle was invited to share in the occasion too. The group surprised us with a gift certificate to use towards a new grill, along with a bucket filled with grill-related stuff. What a thoughtful gift we will definitely enjoy in our new home!



Mollie Hill and Jim O'Neill

The studio

A shot of the main hallway in the office

Here are some photos from one of my corporate projects:

Kyle's Graduation

After 8 long years of post-graduate education and training, Kyle finally reached the end of the journey and graduated from residency. The graduation dinner was at the Omni Hotel on Friday, and we had a celebration with family and a few friends at the Avants' house on Sunday. Congratulations, Kyle!!

Our First Anniversary

It is hard to believe that we have already been married one year! To celebrate, we went to Cafe Annie for dinner. And of course, we ate some of the top tier of our wedding cake. Surprisingly, it tasted pretty good.

Our new nephew, Shane

We are excited to announce the birth of our nephew, Shane Eugene White, born on May 23rd. He was 6lbs 13oz, 20in long. When we first saw pictures, Kyle's immediate response was that he looks exactly like Kolby did as a baby. We look forward to meeting him. Congratulations, Lindsay and Kolby! He is precious!

Weekend in Gruene

We had a great relaxing weekend in Gruene, TX - a small historic town in the New Braunfels area. We have visited the town before as part of day trips to float the Guadalupe River in the summertime, but this time we were able to explore more of the area. The weather could not have been better, but that meant that it was a little cool to float the chilly river. We'll have to go back sometime this summer. It was also really nice to spend some time with Melanie's parents, who were also there to celebrate their 34th wedding anniversary. (that was just a coincidence)

Puppy Update

We haven't posted pictures of Acie and Abbey in a while, so here are some that show how big they are getting. They now weigh about 35 pounds and are 6 months old. Not sure what that calculates to be in dog years, but we are convinced they are going through adolescence. They have been more trouble lately - mainly since they have found a way to get out of the backyard 6 or 7 times in the last couple of weeks, despite our attempts to barricade the gate and use chicken wire to keep them in. Fortunately, they never go far when they escape. Most days we come home to find them playing in our driveway, or they go next door to get dog treats. Other than that, they have been lots of fun.
Here they are anxiously waiting to be fed.

This is Acie

This is Abbie