Three Thought Thursday- 8/22/13

Hello, world! We're baaaaack!
I can't exactly use the phrase "a little behind." I think that applies to two, maybe three weeks. Not two months. Shameful, I tell you. I mean, really...twenty-some-odd years from now when I want to revisit the summer of 2013...my thoughts, the little nuances of life, the ups, the downs....I'll have nothing. Well nothing except scrolls and scrolls of pictures! So here's to that: a close-out to the July and August of The Summer of 2013.

We took a trip to Brenham, TX for the 4th of July to visit Andy and Abby and we had a blast! On the 4th we enjoyed an adorable little small town parade in Chappell Hill. Really, the cutest parade ever.

And no trip to Brenham is complete without a visit to the Bluebell Ice Cream factory. Yum, yum! 

We had all ages represented- 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. And it was impossible to get a good shot of all 5 without at least one making a break for it!

This little man...

Little Will is just the cutest ever. He's such a pleasant, mellow little guy!

We had a great time with the Hefferlys and can't wait to go back!

When our plans to go swimming at the country club fell through, we hit the kiddie pool in the front yard. True American style.

And then shivered a bit as the sun was setting.

What 4th of July is complete without Bomb Pops?

Even if they make you look a bit like a vampire.

And of course we finished it off with a small town firework show. Such a fun little trip!

Our next adventure was a "glad we did it but never again" success story of a trip flying standby on Southwest to Lubbock. We're so, so glad we did it and were so thankful for the free tickets, but never again with little ones. If I had been keeping up with the blog, you would have heard a long tale of dramatic woeful proportions but I'll simply leave it at standby during the summer saves you nothing. Including sanity. 

But we got to enjoy story time with Papa Jeep.

Wrestle-mania with Uncle P (who happened to be in town for a wedding!)

A trip to the movies with grandparents (in outfits to match the movie, no less!)

A backyard BBQ with cousins on both sides of the family

Two best buddies catching up like old times. (and Mark and I got a night to catch up with adult family and friends too!) 

Backyard shenanigans (yes, I let my kid run around like that. He got bit by something and I was trying to make sure he didn't breakout too badly!)

Just being adorable, as always. 

Time catching up with Krista never goes by too slowly.

And guess who loves tire swings?!?

No trip to Lubbock is complete without a visit to "Castle Park."

Swinging with his grandparents....

And checking out bunnies with buddy Jacob.

And then there was the flight home...all this made the trip well worth it! SO glad we got to visit Lubbock this summer!

So beyond our two trips, what else have we been up to??? Oh, just things like...

My cousin having the sweetest little baby girl ever who I fully intend on kidnapping...

...Mark smoking his first set of ribs, and man, were they good!....

...the annual summer trip to Chuck E Cheese...

...and don't even get me started on this. Root canal + Laura's lupus = epic fail.  Horrible inflammatory response which resulted in having to have my tooth filed down so the back two don't even touch now. And to think I still have to have the crown done! Grr!.....

...but that episode was redeemed by a fun trip to see the Astros play with Pinkie and Pa and the Hefferly Clan (Andy's family)...

...We had a blast at Minute Maid Park...

...sat up in the rafters and enjoyed every minute...

...and then I got to go on a date with this little slice of heaven...to pick out school supplies and talk about life...

...and somewhere amidst the summer, my baby turned into a boy...

...and a little boy room got a massive makeover (that's still in progress- waiting on a new dresser this weakend!)...

...And these two cheesers celebrated seven years of marriage with a night out....

...and a night in--as a family tradition, we always celebrate the birth of our family (our anniversary) with a candle-light dinner for the whole clan, in hopes that we teach our boys the importance of marriage, love, and commitment. And on the fine china and with a table cloth!)...

So hopefully back to our normally scheduled routine. With school starting on Monday and a weekend getaway for Mark and me to follow, I certainly have lots to "talk" about. See you soon!

TTT: Season 3, 20/21...Top Ten Takes!

- It's been two weeks since I posted. And SO much has happened! I'm having a hard time reflecting on the past two days, let alone two weeks. But they've been wonderful.

- Gotta say, I love Mother's Day. My boys sure do know how to make me feel special! A mother's day poster, breakfast in bed, mass with my family, brunch with my own mama, time to go shopping...alone. It was a great day!

Working on the Mother's Day poster!

- One of the best things in the world is when little boys are affectionate. It doesn't happen very often. And some are more affectionate than others. For example, Rudy is my love bug. Even when he's not in a very lovey dovey mood I can still coax a hug or two out of him. Kolbe is typically stoic and totally "no-touch." And Grant is more along the lines of being attacked by a thirty pound puppy. But every now and then I catch the perfect moment. And it's wonderful.

Early morning snuggles with Mama. I love my life.

- Speaking of summer, we just returned from our summer vacation. What a blast! And let me just say, leading up to it was a breeze. It's amazing how easy it is to back when you're packing for "regular people." No bottles, burp cloths, extra gadgets or gear. Just clothes, shoes, and a toothbrush. Don't get me wrong, I sure do miss having a little one, but travel without a baby is much more of a breeze!

- The night before we left for our trip, we got daring and headed down to the waterway for a night of fun. The Dave Matthew's Band (Mark's long time favorite) was playing at the pavillion (a large open-air venue) so we took the boys and a big picnic blanket out for a listen. There were countless others like us...not willing to buy the tickets to be able to see the concert but still totally interested in hearing it for free...piled on the open lawns of the waterway. We found a fun little spot where the boys ran and played soccer with other kiddos and one particular group of girls just took them under their wings. So. much. fun. We'll be back out there in a few weeks for the Mumford concert!

Listening and relaxing!

And this guy obviously had some important business to take care of.

- Travel with older kids is a breeze, and travel with Dada is even better! I was so happy to have Mark with us for our trip to South Padre Island this year. He missed our trip last year as he had just started a new job and couldn't take off that soon. He had been anxiously anticipating this trip for a long time. It was a much needed break from his extremely busy work schedule and it made my heart happy to see him able to relax and enjoy himself and our family. Plus, he makes the work load much more bearable for me! Win, win.

- There is nothing quite like seeing your little ones take in the world. The beach was like living in a fantasy world for Kolbe and Rudy this year. Absolute bliss. Seeing them run wild, the wind in their hair and sand on their knees is how I imagine my heart looks when I fully take in each of their faces. Beaming with joy. Such a sight of beauty. And watching them have time to play with their cousins is so special too. I hope they grow up loving each other.

- My parents are awesome. Taking on five adults and seven kids five and under and calling it your vacation...and paying for it is pretty great. They're the best. Imjustsayin.

-We rolled back in to town just in time to attend Kolbe's pre-school end of the year ceremony. Literally...pulled in the driveway, changed clothes, headed to the church. And as of today, Mr. Kolbe Alexander is now officially kindergarten ready! (Wasn't he just born yesterday!?!)

We LOVED Miss Linda and Miss Ann Marie...and they loved Kolbe!

- Now it's back to the real world. Back. to. the. real. world. 

And in my real world, it's officially summer! Renewing the pool passes as soon as I finish the post and pool bound this weekend. Time to come up with fun projects, neat mini-trips, and of course, ways to avoid the heat but enjoy it at the same time. Back to busy, but back to fun. Looking forward to the months ahead!

Want to see more pictures of our trip to South Padre Island? Click here! (And by more, I mean MORE.)

Special Edition: South Padre Island 2013

Welcome to the beach!

Where it's perfectly acceptable to throw sand.

And be cheesy.

And get chased by Dada!

Our adorable nephew, Jackson. (JackPat)

Just like Dada.

The only pic of all three boys on the beach! Starting on a sand castle. I only took the good camera down to the beach on the first day for about thirty minutes...I was too afraid of getting sand in it and ruining it!

The only little lady of our group...Miss Kennedy!

Our nephew John (JohnBoy/Juan Diego) swimming with his Pa.

Pinkie, Pa, and all their babes.

Plenty of sun in those cheeks after day one!

Lots, and lots, and lots of stories were read in our spare time.

I LOVE this picture. Obviously because my babe looks just like my dad. (you pulled the long straw, Sir...Pa was a hotty in his younger years...and still is!) But look at the two in the background. Can't you just see the shenanigans in the making between two sweet cousins? 

Dada and Ru.

All my guys. Grant was not a fan of the water. 

He definitely had a melt down or two...and was obsessed with wearing Kennedy's pink shoes!

These two sure do love each other!

Aunt Casey introduced Rudy to beef jerky!

Aunt Abby and sweet baby Will going for a swim. (Guillermo Marcos)

Don't let the pic fool you...these two were at each other's throats most of the time!

Pool side baseball!

Movie Star! 

Story time with Pinkie.

And this definitely went down. As a tradition, all the girls had to have matching jammies! We are cool like that.

Watching scooter videos with Dada!

Two brothers playing.

JackPat looooved Uncle Marky.

Camp Hefferly with our awesome condo in the background. (the one farthest to the right)

You would think we had a mommy-and-me swim class...

Morning walk on the beach with my babes.

Two sweet brothers walking.

Morning with my Grant-ness.

Attempting to play king of the hill with Dada

Loved spending time with my love.

No trip to Padre is complete without visiting the Shark Store!

Gimme those eyes and that smile! 

And leave it to us to drive past a skate park an hour in to our trip home and wind up stopping for roughly forty-five minutes. These boys LOVE it.

And this guy has gotten mighty good.

Not to mention still the most adorable person alive.

The little ones got to enjoy the playground while the big guys rode the skate park.

Weeeeee!

Agreeing to be friends for the sake of the bumble bee ride.

And it's safe to say we ALL felt like this by the end of the trip! What a wonderful, fun-filled vacation!