Vance Family Bliss

Finally getting settled into our new home, Dave and I planned a little Housewarming party. We invited a few friends in the Dallas area and neighbors from our cul-de-sac for Sangria, lots of food, and relaxation by the pool. We had a great time getting to know our neighbors better!

We will keep you posted...

For the Holidays, Dave and I went to TN to visit my family. While there, my Dad introduced us to an adorable little kitten he named Sissy. He told us that someone just dumped this little innocent creature off in the country to fight off wild dogs and coyotes. We instantly fell in love and wanted to bring the kitten home. On closer inspection, we discovered that Sissy was NOT a girl, but indeed a boy. Dad had thought the kitten was a girl since it was the sweetest most loving cat he had ever met. So the name Sammy was proposed!
When we arrived home in Texas, we introduced Sammy to Pita and Saphira and they began playing together immediately.
Happy little kitties!

Our love, without end
Unceasing like clear blue waves
Nourishing our world.

Our love, without end
Like radiant glow of sun
Sustaining our souls.

Our love, without end
I gaze on my beloved
Bathed in beauty.

Our love, without end
Standing on a sandy beach
My life is complete.

Melissa and I enjoyed the most wonderful two weeks of our lives in Japan, China and Thailand. I hardly know where to begin. Our wedding ceremony on the beach in Koh Samui was such a beautiful and emotional experience. We both cried like babies! Of course, we had some adventures along the way, from riding ziplines high above the jungle canopy, to attempting to scuba dive the murky waters of Koh Tao, to having our pictures taken in the cage with a very alert and grumpy tiger. My honeymoon present from Melissa was a Muay Thai kickboxing training session, where I had the pleasure of being whooped by a 16-year-old Thai star fighter. My honeymoon gift to Melissa was two days of shopaholism in Bangkok. We braved protests at the Bangkok airport, fist-sized hairy jungle spiders, seasickness, and cooked bats on a stick to make this dream a reality, and we wouldn’t trade a second of it for anything in the world! Enjoy our journey with us through the pictures and video (coming soon) below!

To celebrate his 72nd birthday, Melissa's father came to Dallas to visit for the weekend with Uncle Bill. Melissa and I took them to the NASCAR race in Fort Worth on Sunday, and I am sure that JW and Bill thought that would be the highlight of the trip. What they didn't realize is that we had a special treat planned for them on Saturday night! Sherry and Paul joined us at Texas de Brazil, a Brazilian churrascaria (steakhouse) for a wonderful dinner. The flank steak was absolutely amazing, and I think it was the best steak JW and Bill have ever had! We all enjoyed plentiful wine and caipirinhas (Brazilian sugarcane rum), but not so much that we wouldn't remember such a fantastic evening.

It is amazing what little things as adults we take for granted. Take for instance, dressing up for Halloween. It as always been a favorite of mine, but it was even more exciting seeing Dave dress up for the first time ever. Yes, he dressed up in costume for many Halloweens during his childhood years, but this was his first as an adult...and I may add...he rocked it like a rockstar! Fred Flintstone would have been so proud!

In July my dad came to visit Melissa and I in Dallas for the weekend. We had some exciting things in store for him! We first took a trip to the Dallas Arboretum near White Rock Lake. It was a little warm, but the Arboretum was still absolutely beautiful. We enjoyed spending the afternoon amongst colorful flowers and relaxing gardens. Later, we took my dad to the Rangers baseball game. We sat in left field in the blazing sun, so we had to cool ourselves off with a few cold beers! Unfortunately the Rangers lost 9-7, but we had a fun time at the ballpark.

In June my mom made a short stop in Dallas. She was just in town for the evening, but Melissa and I were delighted to see her. We took her to White Rock Lake for a nice walk, and we wished we had brought bread for the ravenous ducks. Not too long after, we were ravenous ourselves, so we met Melissa's cousin Sherry and her husband Paul for a fantastic sushi dinner at Kona Grill.

As many of you already know, Dave "officially" proposed to me while we were vacationing in Cabo San Lucas. He scheduled a photo shoot on the beach with a local photogragher ...



It was not only a relaxing & romantic getaway, but a scuba diver's delight! We dove a few areas; Neptune's Finger was one of our favorites. During this particular dive, we experienced the beauty of the ocean life. Sea lions danced around us while sting rays tried to hide next to sand and rock.

One of the highlights of our vacation in the Bahamas was our scuba dive trip. But you know Melissa and I would not be satisfied with just any dive - we had to go for the most exciting (and dangerous) dive trip available. So we headed over to Stuart Cove's and joined a group to feed the sharks. We dove in the beautiful clear Bahamas waters and swam with 45 Caribbean reef sharks, up to 10 feet in length each. Then the divemaster came along with a boxful of fish and fed the sharks in front of us. It was amazing how aggressive and powerful these creatures are, and how well adapted they are to their environment. I cannot imagine too many experiences that can create such an adrenaline rush! And yes, we did return home completely intact.

In May 2007 Melissa and I took our first real vacation together to Key Largo. We had just received our scuba diving certifications, so we were very excited to test the waters. Before our scuba dive we took a relaxing ride out to the most famous dive site in the Keys, the Christ Statue. The statue is submerged in about 30 feet of water and is completely covered with fire coral, except for one spot: the tips of the fingers. Touching fire coral will give you a burning, unpleasant trip to the hospital, but the legend goes that if you dive down and touch the tip of the Christ Statue's finger, you will have good luck. Melissa and I snorkeled around for a bit, then free-dove down and touched the statue. We were soon chased away by a school of barracuda, but it was an amazing experience. And we think the legend is definitely true, as we have certainly had wonderful luck ever since!