Our Big New Mexico Trip!

We recently got back from a week in New Mexico visiting my parents.  Amma and I flew out with the boys while Papa drove out with some essential supplies.  Lance met us a few days later after he wrapped up his conference in Austin.  I wasn't sure we would survive the air travel with the 3 kiddos but we are still here!  

It was nice to get away from the heat and experience some dry, much cooler New Mexico mountain air.  The views from their house are just amazing and so peaceful.  Despite being sick for the first few days, I was determined to go running in their neighborhood every morning.  Running at a higher altitude took a bit of adjusting to, as did the hills, most of which I had to walk up.  There was one street in particular that had a very slow grade.  It was a joy to run down but a struggle to come back up.  Every morning I saw approximately two scrub jays, a jackrabbit, a cottontail, and several crows.  However, one morning I was excited to see a coyote by the side of the road.  It was so nice being out there in the quiet cool air.  All I could hear was my breath and the occasional cawing of crows or yapping of coyotes.

The boys enjoyed the change of pace as well.  They spent plenty of  time running around the huge house, swimming in the hot tub, and going on nature walks with Amma.  Benjamin was interested in learning about the different types of birds and other wildlife in New Mexico.  We also enjoyed a trip to the aquarium and the zoo, both of which are missing in Austin (unless you count the very small zoo in Austin).

One of the highlights of the trip was that Sawyer started walking.  He had just taken a step and a half in Austin going between me and Lance.  At my parents' house he really started taking several steps at a time and took as many as twelve.  It was fun for everyone to watch his excitement.

Another highlight was the short trip within a trip that Lance and I took to Santa Fe.  We were blessed to have my parents watch the three boys overnight despite their both being somewhat ill from the cold that I gave them.  It was a lovely hour drive from their house to Santa Fe, which included a stop for coffee in the hipster town of Madrid.  Heck, it was just nice being in the car without a fussy baby for once ;)  We spent the night at the Inn at Loretto and had a fabulous meal at their restaurant, Luminaria.  It was over before it began but was truly a nice break.

The trip home was not a highlight but it was better than I anticipated.  The two I-pads and one I-phone came in handy with the three boys.  We did have some fussing and complaining but it was all quite manageable.  When we got home I was surprised to find myself to happy to be here.  Traveling is enjoyable but it sure is exhausting! 

Girls Come for a Visit

We were blessed with a visit from Juily, her mom, and her two nieces.  They hung out in the pool for a bit and then we chowed down on a BBQ buffet.  Everyone was pretty shy at first but Lance started clowning around and that loosened them up.  Benjamin and Evan ran all over the house and were entertaining those two little girls.  Juily brought some strawberry cupcakes and that made the time even more sweet.  Its always more fun with friends!

I wish I had taken more pictures but I was so focused on hosting with a group of 10.  I also wanted to make sure that the house was spotless before we left.  After the kids got down from their stools, they ran around the house chasing each other.  The boys got to hear Juily speaking Mandarin with her mother.  Of course they had never heard this before and Evan said to Juily's mom, "They have Spanish on Dora"!  I thought it was too hilarious and I'm glad that he now knows there are more languages besides English and Spanish!

Sawyer Gets a Haircut

Sawyer's hair has always been a story.  When he was born it was thick and dark.  He was our only baby with a full head of hair and we were pleasantly surprised.  As Sawyer got older his hair started sticking up on end and everyone commented on how hilarious it was.  Lately it has been laying down but has been very long and messy.  I think it was cute but Lance was determined to get him in for his first cut.  I just knew that he would hate it!  He did not let me down!

He was very angry right from the start.  Poor Colleen tried her best and did a great job cutting the hair of a moving target without injuring anyone.  She is a pro and has one this hundreds of times. It was not as easy for me!  Poor little guy!  I hope he remembers the sucker because I'm pretty sure he hates Colleen now.....

The big boys got their hair cut too.  Benjamin always loves it because of the tiny sucker, but now he's also into the games.  Megan was able to come along for the experience and helped Sawyer to decompress after his trauma.  Evan did a great job as usual and requested a "flat" style instead of the "spiky" look that Colleen offered.  

 

Fourth of July 2013

It was a whirlwind trying to get ready for the Fourth just after we got back from the beach!  We also had guests from out-of-town.  Lance's aunt Pam and uncle Jim came down from Illinois to visit with Mamaw before heading to the south Texas coast.  Last year Lance, granmom and grandad, and the older boys went to a small parade in the Westlake neighborhood while Sawyer (just a few weeks old!) and I stayed home.  They had a good time then and vowed to return this year, but as part of the parade.  I got the boys matching shirts and we loaded them onto their F150.  We barely made it on time for the boys to catch up at the end of the line, but it worked out fine.  They had a great time!

Unfortunately Megan and Mamaw did not make it to the parade because they got lost on the way.  In order to make it up to them we decided to go around our block for our own little parade.  It was very cute!  The few neighbors who saw us probably thought we were crazy.  We will plan to organize a neighborhood parade in Sunset Valley next year so others can join in on the fun.

Later that day we went to Amma and Papa's for swimming, burgers, fireworks on the big screen, and sparklers.  As usual everyone loved the pool time and the all-American burgers were a hit.  It was nice seeing the fireworks on the big screen with the great symphony music.  The boys were less apprehensive about the sparklers this year.  All in all it was a great holiday!  

Port Aransas 2013

We had a great time in Port Aransas this year, and it was nice staying a couple more days than we usually do.  We spent the first few days with Amma and Papa, and then Granmom, Grandad and Megan joined us for the last two.  It was unusually hectic getting away for the trip since Sawyer was sick the morning that we were supposed to leave!  I took him to the doctor that morning and he had an ear infection.  I was able to get a prescription filled and finish packing in time for us to leave with Sawyer just shortly after Amma and Papa left with Benjamin and Evan.  Phew!!

Sawyer had his first taste of Lockhart BBQ when we stopped at Black's.  I'm surprised how well Sawyer did considering his ear infection and two teeth coming in.  Boy does he seem to love Brisket!  That's my Texan!

The house was great for several reasons, but my favorite was that you could view the ocean from the front and the fishing pond from the back.  That was great because it provided entertainment without leaving the house!  Benjamin spent lots of time just hanging out on the back porches (6 total porches) watching the birds and the turtles.  He would run in and consult his bird book every half hour or so!  I think he was in heaven.

Here is B looking at a "Little Blue" heron that you can barely see on the wood outcropping.

It was cool that the boys could go fishing in their pajamas in the morning.  Papa helped them out but I'm afraid they did not catch anything.  However they almost caught about 15 turtles...

Below Benjamin is pondering.....

Evan, silly as usual...

One of my favorite pics of Evan from the trip...sign him up for modeling!

This one isn't bad either...

We enjoyed a routine of getting up early, watching Wimbledon, going to the pool, taking a nap, then going to the beach in the afternoon.  It was Sawyer's first time to really experience the beach since he was only 3 months when we first came with him.  He did not take to it at first, but he warmed up slowly.

Benjamin seemed to really love the beach this time around, especially digging in the sand and looking for tiny creatures.  Evan was not very interested in the water, and played mostly in the sand with his trucks and shovels.  

We always came back to take a bath before dinner, which seemed to be Evan's favorite part of the day.  The other boys liked it too.

It was difficult to keep Sawyer from the stairs in a 3 story house with no usable baby gates.  When Sawyer did manage to escape, he really enjoyed them.

The birding center was the best part for me, and for Benjamin.  I was so excited to share this with him since he has become so enthused with birds.  We went there once in the evening and twice EARLY in the morning.  The birds that we saw included:  several kinds of Herons, Comorants, Ruddy Ducks, Black Bellied Whistling Ducks, Magnificent Frigate Birds, Egrets, and Roseated Spoonbills.  It was awesome!

I did manage to get the boys on the beach in their cute matching shirts, but it was challenging to get any good pictures of all of us on the beach.  Out of about 500 pics, I might have gotten a handful of good ones.

This is the best family pic that we got!  What does that say about us??!!

The trip was fantastic even though I was exhausted by the end of it.  I feel sure there is a day around the corner when our family trip to the beach can be more restful.  Despite the stress, I am really excited about establishing a similar tradition for my boys as I experienced growing up.  This place is so dear to my heart and it is really special sharing it with my children.  What a blessing that God has given me this family and these times to spend sharing His provision with them!