The Winter Cruise...

For Christmas this year, Stephanie and I gave each other a week-long cruise on Holland America's Eurodam ship.

The cruise left Fort Lauderdale and headed off to Grand Turk. What a beautiful start to a vacation that was, and it was a tough location to beat. From there we went off to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and finally Coco Cay.

This picture (Left) is the first one of the week. We are on the bow waiting for departure.

The beach at Grand Turk (right) and the boat that took us power snorkeling. This was a new experience for both of us. It was so amazing. We decided on this cruise that a week is a perfect length. We have done a 4-day cruise before and felt that we just didn't feel "Gone" long enough. We meet some really great people on this cruise, saw some amazing places, and enjoyed some fabulous food...what more is there?

Christmas is here (today) Stephanie and I exchanged stockings in the morning with each other and then spent the day up at Stephanie's parents house. We pigged out on some awesome smoked Turkey, and Ham. The girls played cards, and the guys drank beer and watched football and whatever else was on tv.The rest of the weekend we plan on being lazy....Merry Christmas everyone!

Racing weekend....

A few weeks ago Stephanie and I had my family in town for the Petit Lemans! Mom, Dad, Sara and Mark all came to town to spend the weekend at the track.  I took a ton of pics this year, but not as many good ones as I usually do. I wasn't very happy about it. Oh well, that is why I will just do it all over again next year.

After that weekend, we had a weekend at home, and then we were off to Las Vegas! Stephanie's company was having a team building weekend out in the City of Sin! She flew from San Fransisco to Vegas, and I met her out there after I got done with work that friday.

 I spent a lot of time at the pool while she was in activities, but then I was invited to do a few with the teams.

We went to the Strip on Friday night and had a pretty good time, but honestly, we were pretty tired from all of the activites, and Stephanie didn't do so hot on the tables. She was a champ her first time out in December, so this time was a disappointment. I told her that is pretty much how it works...

Next up is Houston in November....Stay tuned.

Time to relax...

The next two weeks will be full of work, working out, and relaxation. Stephanie is back in San Fancisco for the week. She is working hard on her codes for PG&E. She got out of there before the big explosion last week. I am sure there was lots of talk at work about what happened!

Steph and I are in saving mode as we try to save money for our housefund, so we are having some low-key weekends for the next few. We don't have any major plans until we get to the end of the month and my family comes to town for Petit.

This is the event I wait for every year. I cannot wait to have my family there, as well as some of Stephanie's family. I am going to take a TON of pictures.

more later...

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary Baby! We are at our one year mark! We made it.
We have faced challenges together, but through thick and thin, we proved to one another that we are a strong team together.  We have had some amazing times in such a short time period. Everything we do together, from going to the drive-in, to boating and traveling has been amazing with you. It is nice to know that we can roll a crazy life, and the next minute, go somewhere and just relax together quietly.

We have also spent so much time apart over the years, day after day, but when your home, its the greatest feeling in the world. Distance, does makes the heart grow fonder....it also makes for crappy sleep in between. 
 
We have endured many challenges, but none were able to slow us down. We tackled them all with strength together. I am glad that we got through your procedures, and got a handle on all of the issues. Your health getting back to normal was as special to me, as the wedding was. Your one tough chick. You amaze me.

I look forward to many, many years of growth and exploration in all that we do. We have so many plans for the future, it is impossible not to look forward to them. Each adventure a destination, each destination an adventure. There is no one on earth I would rather live my crazy life with. I love you with all of my heart, now and forever.

Love, Andy

Next on the agenda....

Now that Boston is done, you would think we could rest on the couch. That is somewhat true, at least for a few weeks.

One major event that is going on this week is Stephanie and I celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary! We really don't have major plans because we are doing a cruise in December to celebrate it a bit late. So I think we will relax and enjoy the weekend!

While we just saw my parents in Boston, my sister and her husband were unable to attend. Definitely a bummer, but lucky for us, the next item on the agenda will include everyone. At the end of the month the American Lemans Series Petit Lemans race will be held here in North Georgia. Over the last few years I have been attending the event with my father-in-law. (other than last year while we were on our honeymoon!)

I went with my dad, Sara and Mark for the first time just after I moved to Atlanta. Little did I know, my future wife, and her family were also there. Now it is a family tradition! I will be taking a day off to attend almost all of the race weekend while others including Stephanie will only be there on Saturday for the main race.



Exciting things are still going on here at the Hinze House. We still have Houston, Vegas and a cruise left over this year! One of these days I will get Stephanie to add to this blog.

We hope this finds you all in good health. And look forward to posting more items as we walk through life together. Stay tuned for updates!

Boston weekend!

The weekend in Boston is over, we are home and back to our regular programs, but wow, what a weekend!

We flew into Boston on Thursday night really late, and met up with my parents in the morning on Friday. From there we set off to the Samuel Adams Brewery for a tour. It was an interesting tour, short, and informative. Not that much to see actually as the small brewery is home only to beer made for Boston itself. The rest is brewed in Ohio, and Pennsilvania.

We were able to take the train everywhere in town, and that made moving from place to place easily. We also saw the N.E. Aquarium on Friday and enjoyed that as well. Atlanta's Aquarium is better, but it was cool anyhow.We also had a few nice dinners out, both by ourselves, and with my family as well.

Saturday we went to a Red Sox game, which because of the hurricane ended up being a double header. The Sox were not playing well, and lost every game that weekend. I think something like 3 or 4 in a row! UGH!

The wedding was Sunday on campus at Harvard. We didn't get a chance to walk around campus, but maybe next time. The ceremony was beautiful, and short, to the point! From there, some Boston Trollies picked up the guests and took us to Boston Beer Works Brewery for the reception.

Had a great time, got to see alot of people we rarely have time or the means to see. By the end of the night, around 12, we were tired and decided to walk it back to the hotel.  The following morning we packed up and left for home. 

These are just a sample of pictures taken while in Boston, there are 300 more on my Flickr account.

A wedding weekend....(it's been awhile!)

This week will be a fast one as Stephanie is off to California for a short week, before coming home Thursday morning. We then fly out to Boston for my cousins wedding. She was our Photographer at our wedding last September. Stephanie and I are looking forward to seeing some of my family and spending some time in the city. Neither of us have ever been to Boston before. Should be a great time. We are also planning trips to The Samuel Adams Brewery for a tour, and have tickets for a Red Sox game. I am very excited to take pictures in the new city, and there will be plenty of pictures of the events, and the people throughout the weekend. I had a great time taking pictures of California, and the vineyards....Boston will provide plenty of good opportunities for photos.


I feel good having finished my huge project for Dealership University (my old job) and my good friends there. It was a long, tough month, but it went by fast, and with the help of a bunch of Mountain Dew I made it. Should be a great paycheck.

That's all for today, come back soon for updated info from the trip.

A California Dream...

It was a relatively foggy weekend for us in San Fransisco, but that made for some awesome pictures
of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I flew in to meet up with Stephanie at the hotel and settled in before we crashed for the night. After a day of work, we went out with David and Terry for dinner.The four of us had a great time. It was awesome to see David, its been a long time.

David took us for a tour of the city, and showed us some awesome sights. The picture to the right is of the "Painted Ladies". Thanks David for the great picture. He also showed us the best place to take pictures of the GGB. And the picture above was taken from the Fort overlooking the Bay.

On Saturday we headed out early for the Sonoma/Napa Valley area for some wine tasting.
We started our trip in Sonoma and worked our way over to Napa.

This is Sonoma, and man is it beautiful out there. We were able to see two wineries, and one champagne vineyard. It took all day and before we knew it, it was over and time to head back. It was a great experience and we would definitely do it again.

Now, back home, I am busy getting some rest before we head out to Boston in just over a week for my cousins' wedding. Should be a blast, and lead to even more pictures! Stay Tuned!

A quiet weekend....so far.

Finally, a weekend that isn't loaded with things to do! Don't get me wrong, I like to be on the go, and Stephanie really keeps me on my toes, but sometimes, we just have to rest.

This is one of those weekends. We actually came into a Friday with no plans. We had a quiet dinner (Roast) on Friday, and slept in on Saturday....nice! This morning we ran some errands, Home Depot, Kroger, and went to lunch at Chili's.

After that was done, we returned home, and had a window company come measure our windows for the condo. We really need them replaced. Many of them are not working properly anymore. It was time. So we set that up and in a few weeks, we will have all new windows! Yippie! Right now we are just relaxing, watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban...before our friend Bonnie comes over for burgers, beer and movies. Should be a fun night in.....no plans yet for Sunday...stay tuned.

Chicago - 4th of July Weekend

Ah yes the "Windy City". This was our view as we drove into town. We had a busy weekend planned from the start, with lots of people to see, and things to do.

We had our first event, lunch with Stephanie's Friend, Eileen at Gino's East for some Chicago Style Pizza (Yum!) on Friday afternoon.

From there, we headed to stay with Kareem, Jessie and Natasha (newborn) on Friday night, and Sunday night.

We also stayed downtown Saturday night so that we can attend the Taste of Chicago, see Navy Pier and enjoy the city without having to drive out of it late at night. Also, met up with her friend Michelle for the Taste.

In the morning, we headed back to Kareem's for a 4th of July party with his family and a few of his friends on Sunday. On Monday bright and early, we left to drive straight home. The drive was long, but we did it with no problem, and got home to the puppies.

So, as you can see it was a pretty crazy schedule. We didn't even get to see everyone that we had hoped. I guess some plans had changed, and that sort of thing happens on a long holiday weekend.

It was a miracle we were able to fit what we did in. I enjoyed taking a bunch of pictures of the city and the people we met up with as we walked the "Magnificent Mile" and the Millennium Park.

Tubing the Hooch!

Stephanie and I gathered the troops for our 2nd annual "Tubing the Hooch" get together in Helen, GA. We drove to Helen in the morning on Saturday with Amy and met up with two other couples.

This is a picture that our friend took of Stephanie and I at the very beginning of the day. The trip takes off from a launching area north of the lodge. They bused us to the drop off and we float back to where our cars are.

The whole trip takes a few hours, and afterward we went in search of food! We had a blast, got some sun, got soaked and Matthew didn't get stuck in the middle of the river this time and need my rescuing. (He is unable to get his insulin pump wet) Maria did manage to get a leak in her tube that by the time we finished was but a floating carcass.

We are already looking forward to next seasons trip!

Jennifer, Kyle & The Boys Visit.

This is Matthew, and I snagged this picture as he was walking by me in the kitchen at his Grandma's house. His family was in town for a few days in June. We had a great visit with the boys, and were able to go out on the boat to swim, and relax. We also celebrated his Birthday and had a Toy Story 3 themed day!

He also loved the huge waterslide that was blown up in the front yard for the kids of the neighborhood kids to play on during the hot Georgia day.

And this is Matthew's older brother Jacob. He and I were playing with my camera on the floor when I got the picture above. He also took turns with me taking pictures of their family dog "Bones".

Jacob (right) actually posses for the camera, while Matthew, (above) would rather not.

The families spent the weekend together eating and talking and boating in the hot sun. Stephanie and I enjoyed seeing Kyle and Jennifer as well, and made plans for Stephanie to take a trip out to Houston to see them again in August. 

Another week in the books.

Yeah, this week was a blast from the past weekend. Stephanie and I went to the Fox Theater here in Atlanta to see "Ferris", and "The Breakfast Club" on the big screen. I forgot how iconic those two movies are. Those are two that I can watch with Stephanie anytime and not get tired of them.

We were also out on Lake Lanier this past Saturday with the In-Laws. That was the 3rd time this summer we have been out on the boat already! So excited. We were unable to go more last year because of the wedding and honeymoon.

Stephanie flew out to San Fran this week to start her new job. She was excited to get going and anxious to get into a project. I am hoping to go visit her someday while she is out there, so that I can see the city, I have never been to CA.

I also was able to attend Caffine and Octane for my monthly carshow fix. I got a bunch of great pictures from it as always.

At the end of this week when she comes home, her sister and her family will be here for a long weekend. I assume if the weather holds up, we'll be in the water most of it. I hear its supposed to be rainy though...so that is a bad sign. It will be good to see the family, we last saw them for Thanksgiving.

I also talked to my mom and dad the other day, and there are a bunch of things going on with them (good things) and it was nice to hear their voices. I will see them again in September when we head to Boston for a wedding. My sister and her hubby Mark just got a new kitty (thier first). Mark also returned to the track that almost killed him (Putnam) and had a good weekend.

Thats all for now...

Florida

Stephanie and I just got through a marathon weekend. Friday afternoon at 4pm, we hit the road for a journey to Florida to visit my Grandfather and his new wife. Yes, at 88 years young, my Grandfather, whom was widowed a few years back, found a new love. This was the first time Stephanie and I were able to meet her because we haven't been able to get down to Florida until now.

So after driving some 600 miles to Punta Gorda, Florida, we found our hotel and settled in for the night (it was midnight). After a great night sleep, we woke up and had a huge breakfast, then went over to meetup with my Grandfather and new Grandmother! We sat around their condo for a bit, before meeting up with his brother Ralph, and his wife Doris. Olive Garden was our place for lunch, and we sat and talked for awhile as we ate. Afterwards, we headed north to Tampa to the next hotel. Grandpa was getting tired, so we didn't stick around and wear him out.

After a short drive to Tampa, we settled in to our room, then went for the pool. We also made reservations for an awesome Steak House in Tampa, that requires 2 weeks advanced reservations...but we got lucky and were able to have a late dinner.

Sunday came fast, and we got back into the car to head back to Atlanta. It was a long weekend in the car, but Stephanie and I were able to have a great weekend out of the house.

The weekend!

Stephanie and I had a busy weekend this week. Friday we had a night in, and watched a movie together. Saturday was Stephanie's office party at the Atlanta Zoo so we caught up with some of her fellow workers that she hasn't seen in quite some time.

Sunday I went to the Mitty at Road Atlanta for the day. There I was able to shoot a bunch of awesome old, new, and race cars. I also got quite a bit of sun, and am nice and red. OUCH!

This week should go by fast because Friday Stephanie and I are heading to Florida for the weekend to see my grandparents. Its going to be a busy weekend, as most of it will be driving....ugh!

But that won't be the last time we are in Florida this year....in December, we are going on a cruise. The Holland America Cruise ship "Eurodam" will be taking us to the Grand Turks & Caicos, San Juan Puerto Rico, St. Thomas BVI, and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas...Can't wait.

This weeks' goings on....

This is Dave Attell, and since seeing him last year here in Atlanta, we decided to see him again while he is here his week. This time, Stephanie and I are going with Randall and Maria. It should be a great time. He's a funny SOB.

The last few weeks that have gone by have been decent, life back to normal so to speak. We have been keeping busy during our weekends as the summer gets closer and the heat gets hotter.

We are really looking forward to the summer and all of the plans that we have to execute. Work for the two of us is plugging along, Stephanie is busy trying to closeout a project in Dallas, and I am busy doing what I do everyday....graphic after graphic.

...more soon.

Success!

It is April! I hope everyone enjoyed the winter, and is ready for the heat. Already Atlanta is varying in temperatures from the 60s on upto 90 degrees last week.

Speaking of last week, Stephanie and I got some wonderful news....her second surgery was a sucess. This was such a relief as we have been pretty stressed out and exhausted for the last several months after the first operation failed, and in planning and waiting for the second to arrive.

with all of those things now in the past, we are definately looking forward to being able to actually enjoy being married. We have basically been dealing with health issues the entire time. We have a lot of things that we plan on doing in the next few months to just get out there and enjoy life.

Originally we had planned on going to Hawaii for our 1st Anniversary, but with all that has been going on, we postponed it for the time being. It is definately still on the radar. Stephanie and I also would like to do a cruise again this year, but we'll see if we have time. We do have a few trips that are already planned for the summer. In July we are heading to Chicago for the 4th, to see some friends, as well as attending the Taste of Chicago. Also, in September, we are heading to Boston for my cousin J's wedding. (she was our wedding photographer).

Thats all for now. More later.

Dog Park...woof woof.

These are some hard times....

It has been forever since I last updated this. I tend to forget about it with Facebook and all. We have had a busy few months since the wedding/honeymoon good times were done.

Stephanie had an operation soon after we got home, and was off work for 6 weeks. The operation was only semi successful so we found out that she would need to have another revision.

Because of her work schedule, we didn't schedule the operation for a few months, giving her body some time to heal a bit. As February came to a close the weather got to be warm for a weekend and we took all of the girls to the dog park! The first picture is Hunter, Etta and I. In the following pictures you will see Stephanie, and our friends Randall and Maria as well.

Maria and Randall also had a few dogs with them and they brought a ton of attention. The Neopalateon Mastiff was a huge (literally) hit. After all, it was hard to hide a 150 pound dog. Our littlest Jasmine, was not sure what to think about him, so she stayed away from him most of the day.

Since then, we have been busy trying to get through Stephanie's procedure, and her sister and mom were around to aid in the recovery. My mom, is also coming here this week to help with the rest of the recovery.

I look forward to seeing mom again, since It has been a little while and I am a complete momma's boy. As for plans after recovery, we intend to attend the 4th of July Taste of Chicago this year and see some of our friends up there, and we also have a wedding in Boston for my cousin who shot all of our wedding pictures! We both cannot wait for that, as neither of us have been to Boston before.

We hope to have a busy summer and get a lot of things done that we have wanted to do. There might also be a trip to Florida to see my Grandpa who neither of us have seen in a year or so.