New Pack Member!

Jefferson (now named "Rocky")

After having Loki for a couple of months, we had been playing with the idea of getting a second dog.  We had developed many skills as not only dog trainers but as a couple working together in a big project--trust me, having dog is a big one.  We have learned to communicate better as we've trained Loki and discipline him.  Because of our success, defined by the obedience of Loki and quickness to learn new tricks, we decided to help another shelter dog. 

Jefferson, as he was named when we met him.

We attended an annual local adoption event where we stumbled upon a wonderful dog who caught our attention right away.  We then found that he was 3 years old and had heartworm (high), which was one of the reason why he has had 3 homes previously.  We fell in love with how sweet and his low calm energy.  Loki got a chance to play with him and give his approval! 

Heartworm Medication

With his medical condition in mind and knowing that he had been picked up by the animal shelter multiple times before being put in the animal shelter, we decided to adopt him.  Because heartworm medication can be expensive, Jefferson's mom had started a funding program for him at:

http://www.gofundme.com/uwa2a3k

Here, donation can be made to help pay for his injections, three of them, which will be starting in less 2 weeks.  So this is where we ask for your help, my loyal followers and fellow visitor.  We appreciate your help in advance and we hope to raise the ~$200 that he needs.

New Home

Although it seemed for a moment that Rocky was invading Loki's castle, he has accepted Rocky with much love.  They love to play all the time!  

Next to my new brother on my first day at my new home!

Loki, me, and Rocky

With time, Rocky and Loki are adjusting to these changes.  It was a bit overwhelming at first but with time, Rocky is beginning to learn basic commands such as sit, down, and we are working on shake.  However, we are mainly focusing on him feeling loved and comfortable in his new home.  We are focusing on discipline, routine, and obedience through exercise, and consistency.  He is a smart dog that has survived cars running over, dog fights, and domestic abuse from previous owners.  We are trying to give him a better life, help him survive this heartworm treatment, and prolong his lifespan.  

We will keep you guys up to date on the integration of our new pack member.  As always...¡Gracias!

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Posted in Dog Adventures, family

Back to blogging

Welcome back!

First of all, I would like to thank you for visiting my blog.  It's been over 6 months since I my last post but it feels like years.  I recently just finished my second semester of graduate school here at Texas A&M.  Our experience in moving here has not only strengthened us, but it has changed us in ways that we did not expect.  We had some challenges as we adapted to the new environment but have had lots of fun in the process.  The weather here is as expected.  Our seasons go from summer to hell to cold rainy winter and back to hell again.  I wish we could say we got a nice tan with all this sun, but it's so hot that we spend most of our time at work or at school inside, but we are beginning to change that.

Some of the big changes is we have a new addition to the Morales Family!  His name is Loki and we got him at 2 months before they were going to put him down.  It has been such an adventure and a learning experience for both of us, not only on how to train a dog, but on how we have trained ourselves at the same time.  With time, we have asked a question...Who rescued who?

We adopted our first family dog.

He loves to cuddle and stare at you while you eat.

We got him a backpack to carry his treats and to give him a job.

He is now 7 months old at almost 50 lbs...and still growing.

Fitness Update

Fitness Update: We have started the Body Beast workout again for the second time.  We did the whole 90 days last fall and we saw some amazing results!  Nevertheless, we fell short on some things that we now are changing.  We are keeping track of not only our calorie intake, but the type of calories.  Keeping a more balanced diet and with less sugar.  We have learned through research and after watching a great documentary called "Fed Up" the addictive power of sugar and it's potential danger to our bodies.  We love our treats, and my wife loves to bake, so that is one big change that we are implementing this time.  

We are now starting week 4 and we are beginning to see the difference.  I will upload some progress pictures soon.  In the meantime, I would recommend you to try this workout routine to see some amazing results.  And if you are a girl and are reading this, lifting weights will not make you huge!  Cupcakes and junk food will!  

Stay tuned for my next post, where I will be sharing some topics such as:

• Things my parents never taught me
• Things I wish I knew before getting married
• Things I learned on my mission (LDS) that have saved my life
• and more.....

and as always....¡Gracias!

 

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Posted in adventures, Dog Adventures, family

Why You Should Invest in a DSLR Camera

     Here's why...have you ever been amazed at how amazing a picture is?  Is it the quality?  Is it the lighting?  Well, it's all of the above, as well with some experience, and equipment and other accessories.  This was a luxury couple of years, but the good news is that things have changed, and although not everyone can be a professional photographer and make it their full-time job, it's a hobby that can be adopted without spending all your savings!

Nikon D3300

     In recent years, the world of photography has changed dramatically.  Ever since prices for Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras have declined, many people are investing in a high-quality camera.  Some buy these cameras to start a new business, or just to take pictures of family and other adventures.  Whatever your motive is, I'd like to share with you the reasons why my wife and I decided to invest in one, because yes, we saw it as an investment.  

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Posted in photography

What People Ask: Our Interracial Marriage Part 2

On the last post, we talked about interracial marriage in general.  We received a quick response from some people that were interested and some interracial couples themselves.  We appreciate your input and we hope that you enjoy our FAQs.

FAQs

These questions include some that we've been asked and some that were suggested that we include them on this post.  My responses will be in RED and my wife's in BLUE.  

Please, COMMENT below or email us at ncmorales1227@gmail.com if there is a question not mentioned here that you are interested in.  Thanks again for your visit!

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Posted in family, Marriage

What People Ask: Our Interracial Marriage Part 1

     My wife and I have been married for almost 3 years, and our interracial marriage has taught us a lot about loving one another for who they are and not for their looks, or in this case, their skin color.  Our hope is that we can answer some of your questions and that one day, we can all treat each other with respect.  Since this is a controversial topic, we decided to break it into different parts.  First, we will briefly talk about the topic in general.  Secondly, we will answer some of the FAQs that people ask when they meet us (or they say when they walk past us).  

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Posted in family, Marriage

7 Things We Will Miss About Idaho

Moving back to Texas has been a great experience so far for me and my wife.  However, there are some things I wish we would've been able to pack in our suitcases.  So we came up with 7 things that we will miss about Idaho.

7. Potatoes

Photo by estespr.com

     If you've ever been to Five Guys, or any place where they sell fries, the chances are the potatoes were shipped from Idaho.  These starchy, nutritious produce is the 4th largest crop in the US.  They come in all shapes (probably not was big as the picture above, but pretty close) and colors.  Since the Idaho region is great for potato farming, you get great deals on potatoes, which we found out when we moved down to Texas.  Steak and potatoes, hash-browns, or even funeral potatoes will never taste the same.  Not to mention, the cost, and the taste are much less satisfactory than eating potatoes in Idaho.

6. Clean Fresh Water

     Most of Idaho is a desert, so water is a luxury in many places, but in the northern parts such as Couer d’Alene, water is rich and fresh.   Although in many places (in the country) you have access to clean, fresh-tasting water.  Nearly all of the fresh rainwater begins its journey up in the mountains of Wyoming and travels south to Idaho. Idaho water is fresh and delicious.  If you have always lived in a big city, you won't be able to understand until you try fresh, clear mountain water.  I recommend it to you.  Texas water tastes like a pool, even after filtering it.

5. Fresh Produce

     When you begin to think about where food comes from, before it reaches your local grocery store, you start to appreciate the value of fresh produce.  Idaho's weather conditions allow farming to be the main income for many residents in the state.  Farmer's markets can be found in almost any city in Idaho providing fresh and delicious produce.  The southern counterparts we've visited here, are so far underwhelming.

4. White Christmas

Photo by Brent Lindsay (my UNCLE! check out his gallery).

     After farming season is over, it starts getting cold and if you live in the north of the U.S. and get snow during Christmas, you'll understand how snow makes the holiday season special.  The cold can be torturing at times, but when you encounter wildlife in the winter and the rays of the sun delicately resting on the white crisp snow, your coldness disappears. 

3. Summer Weather

     The cold eventually stops and even though sometimes it feels like we skip Spring and go right into the summer, we can't complain.  Living in Texas before experiencing a summer in Idaho was a shock.  The humidity was gone, and my skin began to dry and I spent more money on hand lotion than drinking water (ok, it's not that bad), but they were pretty dry.  However, when summer came, this dryness that I was complaining about became my best friend.  You can walk around the park and have no drops of sweat and if for some reason it's too hot for you, all you have to do is go down to your basement and cool down.  We will definitely miss this, and the basements.

2. No Bugs

Photo by crushbugs.com

     All the humidity also means lots of bugs (Warning: if you are afraid of bugs, you can skip this section).  It's too cold for bugs to live in Idaho.  Ok, enough said.

1. Mountains and Lanscape

I left this one for last, because it's the thing that we will miss the most.

Photo by Frank Kovalchek (Flickr)

     The breathtaking mountains with magnificent trees and clear rivers running in the valleys have made this state one of the best ones in the country.  Perfect for going hunting, hiking trails, and camping. 

Photo by Charles Knowles (Flickr)

There are many other things that we will miss about Idaho.  For example, less crowded cities, less traffic, using cruise control, relatively less crime, and other great things that we will always wish we had in the south metropolitan cities.  The best part is that we still have family there and we plan on visiting often.

I hope you enjoyed this post!  If you have any other suggestions as to what you miss about Idaho or even the state you moved from, don't forget to comment below.  (If you want to see more pictures about the beautiful state of Idaho, check this post or visit my Uncle's photo gallery here).

As always, thanks for visiting my blog and if you liked this post, please SHARE it! ¡Gracias!

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Posted in idaho, photography

5 Reasons Why I Decided to Study Civil Engineering

When I tell people I'm studying Civil Engineering, they make a face like "Wow!" to which I then reply, "Do you know what that is?" "No."  This is why I decided to write about this subject.

 

First, what is a Civil Engineer?

     According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), "Civil engineers design, construct, supervise, operate, and maintain large construction projects and systems, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment."  Overall, Civil Engineers are typically responsible to the construction of any structure that is used by the public.

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Posted in career, civil engineering

Reinventing Relics in Ririe

My wife had been wanting to go to an antiques place in Ririe, Idaho which is owned by a good friend of ours, Melissa.  So we decided to check it out and see what treasures we could find to take to our new home in Texas.  If you want to know more about this treasure trove click here. 

Reinvented Relics 

It's a small place, but there's always something for everyone.

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Posted in adventures

Welcome to Texas...our new home!

Hi! Thank you again for visiting my blog.  It's been quite an adventure preparing and driving to our new home, but we made it and a new chapter of our life has just started.

 

Our Move to Texas!

The preparation

After I graduating from Brigham Young University-Idaho, it was time to finish packing and wait for the departure date.  On our final days in Idaho, we tried to do last minute trips to places we were going to miss and meet with friends and family.  It was sad to say goodbye to people knowing that we won't see them for a couple of years; specially our nephew Braxton, who will most likely be walking by the time we see him again.  My father-in-law who has been so supportive and all those who have helped us in any way possible.  

Once we had packed everything, it was time to hit the road...early.

Preparing to leave at 4:30 a.m.

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5 Reasons Why I Decided to Start Blogging

 

Photo by Clearvoice.com

My wife and I have been very interested in family history lately and recently, she has asked me multiple times to write in my journal so our children and future generations can get to know where I came from.  Well, writing in a journal every night is not an easy task, however, with the technology at our hands, I decided to take advantage of it.  So I have gathered at 5 reasons why I decided to start blogging...

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