Labor Day Weekend in Lubbock

Eek! I'm horribly embarrassed that it has taken over a month for me to finally get this post up. I'm being 100% honest when I say that I've had the pictures load up to the blog post for a few weeks now and just have not managed to get in here and add captions to them all. Every time I get started the phone rings, a baby wakes up, the dryer buzzes, etc. But alas, it's finally done. We had our first return visit to Lubbock over Labor Day weekend to celebrate both Grant's baptism as well as Jacob's baptism. (He's our adorable godson!) We had a fantastic time! There were really only two downsides...1-the trip flew by and wasn't long enough and 2-the car ride portions were absolutely miserable! Let it suffice to say that next time we will go back to driving at night instead of during the day. Complete caged-animal-insanity aside, we're so glad we had the opportunity to take this trip and can't wait to go back around Christmas time.

Tech had their first home game while we were there so we had to go up to campus and check out the Will Rogers statue. The boys were fascinated, of course!

Three brothers!

A rare family-of-five pic...I think this might have been our very first one! Since Grant was in the NICU we failed miserably to get any when he was born.

Mark's brother Brian and our sister-in-law Cristi served as Grant's godparents

When Uncle Dave showed up he was an immediate magnet for the boys. They LOVE Uncle Dave.

At our old beloved parish, St. Elizabeth's...where we met, got married, and our other boys were baptized too!

Grant's baptism

Jacob's baptism

Our newest little Catholic! (with Brian and Cristi Asmussen)

And our second little godson, Jacob Cole Johnson with our dear friends Ben and Erin Johnson

The whole group with Deacon Dick

The Asmussen group (with Mark's parents and my mom)

Our sweet godson, Jacob. He definitely has Grant beat in the hair department!

I think at least nine hundred versions of this picture were taken and I've yet to see one where all five of us look normal! Such is life in pictures with three boys three and under.

My sweet baby

And what would a celebration in Lubbock be without a cake from Keri!?! The BEST!

We had a fun fajita reception at Ruby Tequila's after the baptism.

Despite many years of spending time at G-ma's house, we had never actually spent the night there until this trip since we always lived just a few miles away. Needless to say, the boys were thrilled to get to do their favorite past time (jumping on G-ma's cushions...an activity ONLY allowed at G-ma's!) all night, every night 

Oh! The thrills!

They would get so excited that they'd have to stop and hug each other out of sheer joy! Ha!

Two brothers!

On Sunday after mass we went over to my Aunt Lulu's for pizza. The boys had a ball playing with cousins John, Shelby, and Kinsey.

And then on Sunday night Miss Lora hosted a cook out at her house where there was more shenanigans and cousinly fun. (here with Asmussen side cousins Adan and Hayden)

Playing with the ice bucket (Adan, Hayden, Kinsey, Shelby and the boys)

Despite the fact that I've included tons of pictures, I'm realizing that I did a horrible job as the photographer on this trip! I failed to get pictures of the boys riding their new bikes at G-ma's house, failed to send the camera with G-ma and Papa Jeep when they took the boys to the beloved "castle park," and failed to get any good pictures at all of all the down time spent visiting and the boys cuddling with G-ma and Papa Jeep. Believe me, lots of that went on too! And next time I'll be better with the camera. In my defense, I've got a newborn in my arms most of the time!