Family Vacation to Austin

This weekend we decided to take a little road trip to Austin. People always say we travel ALOT and really we do (we would travel more if possible:) but normally we go on vacations with grandparents or other family--which we love but it is nice to get away just the 4 of us from time to time!
So where to begin? We did soooo much I don't know any other way to do it but to just post some pictures and tell it as I go---so here goes!


We left for Austin on Thursday afternoon and made it just in time for Beauty and the Beast in the Park...it was free--hot, but FREE! We ended up getting there right when it began and had great seats...the kids loved it and wanted to stay the whole time but it was getting really late--we had a big weekend ahead of us!

We found the greatest climbing tree walking out to the car---isn't it incredible! We love trees and we are always looking for the perfect one to climb!

The kids slept together--they loved it--(when they were awake)--as soon as they fell asleep they kicked each other and kept crying that the other was laying on them--also they both were a little sick so that didn't help--anyways the last night we got another bed to split them up.....we slept really good that night:)

Saturday we took the kids to see Peter Pan at a local children's theater. The kids both liked it and were SO excited about going! Now if you ask Reese today if he liked the show he would say no....but only because Captain Hook came out in the audience and stood maybe 2 feet in front of him....he didn't like that at all!

Abby with Peter Pan--she was brave...Reese still doesn't like people in costume--he stood back and just had me get his autograph!

Family Vacation to Austin -Part 2

*this silly blogger doesn't let me post more than 5 pictures at a time so this will take a few posts to get through!


Saturday we went to the Austin Ice Cream Festival

Kids eating ice cream trying to stay cool!

Reese feeding the animals---Greg took a video that I will post later!

Abby riding a pony...she's really into horses lately
---she might take horse- riding lessons this fall!

Greg heard about this bridge in downtown Austin that has 1.5 million bats living under it and at about 8:30pm every night in the summer you can go to the bridge and watch them fly out for the night---wow it was incredible they just kept coming--flying right over us and they seemed to never stop---crazy!

Family Vacation to Austin -Part 3

We did alot of eating while we were away and Greg had planned every meal and activity with great thought--- he did tons of research to make sure we did all there was to do while we were away!

One of the highlights of the trip for Greg (besides of course spending time with us:) was eating at a place called Kreuz Market in Lockhart, TX.
He had heard that it was the best bar-b-que in Texas so we just had to go! This is what we saw when we walked in to order and wow was it HOT--you ordered your food out in the warehouse where they smoked the meat right in front of you! I kept thinking if this is where we have to eat I'm eating in the car!:) --luckily they had a separate dining room with air-conditioning--yay!
Greg was in heaven and said he had the best ribs ever! And well me and the kids were really missing the bar-b-que sauce (we're dippers--we love our condiments:)---can you believe they serve NO sauce...what kind of bar-b-que place is that?? --anyway I didn't like the food all that much but I DID appreciate the history of the restaurant and it's atmosphere ---if you're ever down that way and you want some great smoked meat you must stop by---just bring your favorite sauce with you.....I recommend KC Masterpiece:)

Greg digging in--notice the plates...there are none! You get your meat on butcher paper with 4 loaves of white bread and saltine crackers.....weird huh? (the kids and I ate bread and crackers:)
Greg got us ice cream on the way back to the hotel-- he's so sweet!

Sunday we went to the Children's Museum--it was full of activities and crazy noise makers--the kids LOVED it! Abby was in one of the rooms doing a craft and she says, " Oh man this is the best day of my life!" -I think she liked it don't you?

Science room--the challenge was to use 3 pieces of paper and balance 30 pennies on the end extended 6 inches off the edge--we all succeed! *notice Greg got all creative with his 3 papers--always has to out do me huh? :P

My creative hat---right after this picture the kids ran up and screamed in those cones on my ears---ouch it was LOUD!
Gotta love those kiddos!

Welp I think I did an ok job of covering everything we did-- the only part I skipped--due to no pictures-- was us spending Saturday evening with Chip and Emma Jean Dishinger and their whole family....we went swimming, ate pizza and watched the Olympics together! It was a great night of playing and catching up!
We also spent the afternoon Friday with Greg's great Aunt Rosa--she was wonderful and the kids just loved her---she's an artist and it was great for Abby to get to spend time with her talking art and touring her art studio!
On Sunday we met Stacey and Steven Russell for lunch after church. They had a crazy weekend moving into their new house but took time out to grab lunch with us. Thanks guys!
We had a great weekend and can't wait to travel again...hehe only kidding...kinda:)

Cold Front

I thought Greg really just wanted to get a picture of me with this beautiful horse but really he wanted me to get eaten by the horse;)--he kept saying, "closer honey....get closer!" --this is as close as I get to a sweaty horse!


Tonight since a cold front came though and it was only 100 degrees out instead of 108 we decided to take a little bike ride to go feed the horses--(they live right down the street)
The kids love feeding them and the whole time Reese asked, "Is he gonna eat my finger?" ***once during Cousins Camp he had a horse bite his finger while he was trying to feed it and he's never been the same:) --don't worry the horse let go and didn't even break the skin...just his psyche!
Anyways we spent a whole hour outside tonight--that's pretty good--we really only go out if we're gonna get wet or get in an air-conditioned car!
The horses were happy to see us.....they don't see many people in these parts during the summer:) --ohhhh how I long for the fall!

Stray Sprinkles!

**You might be wondering what in the world the kids are doing in the picture??**
Well today we made a cake because Abby is having a little swim party with some friends tomorrow and she really wanted a cake too! So since I love baking I was all about it and the kids helped me every step of the way. So about the picture -well both of our kids have a serious sweet tooth (Abby more than Reese but they're both still pretty bad) so after we had made the cake and iced it we put some sprinkles on it. And this is the kids licking up the "loose" sprinkles that fell off the cake--by this time they had had way too much sugar so I told them they couldn't have anymore but Reese talked me into eating these because they were trash anyways---I'm a sucker I know and they're pathetic...they'll take it however they can get it;) I'm also really sick to my stomach tonight because I can't resist batter of any kind (cake, brownie or cookie dough--it's my weakness;)...I try to resist but every time I hate myself for licking the bowl and the spoon and the beaters and...and... and---I told you I'm bad:) ...maybe that's why I love baking?

*also you gotta click on the picture and see it up close--it's pretty funny ...they are really focused and determined to get those sprinkles!

Rock Star Abby!

We're all up late tonight watching the Rangers game (like every other night;) and Abby disappeared for a bit and when she returned this is how she was dressed! She said she's a rock star (because of her glasses) and that her name is Hannah Montana with a cape?! What's funny is that she's never really even seen the show but she loves her all the same! She wanted me to point out her shoes---she got them for school--she LOVES these shoes!
*Welp gotta get back to the Rangers we're winning!

When Nature Calls!

Yes, he is peeing off our back porch! Ever since he went camping with Maw Maw and Poppa he thinks you need to pee in nature. When Reese wakes up in the morning he heads straight out the back door and takes care of business! Once he didn't just pee--(if you know what I mean;) and he got in big trouble...I told him he's not a dog and we have a toilet for a REASON! So now before he goes outside he says, "Mommy, I'm NOT gonna go poo just pee....promise!" -He cracks me up! Yesterday he was outside going pee and he decided he would pee on a tennis ball and when Greg was mowing he wasn't very happy to find that wet ball (he said it splatter on him)--- he wasn't happy AT ALL!
Now don't worry we have taught Reese that we only pee in our backyard and thats it --so please don't fear inviting us over to your house--we did teach him how to use a toilet;)

"Look Mom we're happy!"

So today we needed to get a few things done-- "errands" as we call them--Reese says he hates that word:)
Anyways- Greg and I gave them a BIG talk, or the 'threaten their lives' talk- whatever you may call it;)--you know the kind you give your kids right before you have to go in a store to buy stuff that you know they have no interest in and you just know they are gonna climb all over the place, through the clothes racks and have to go potty 40 times--well anyways this was the kinda talk we had with them right before we entered the mall! (I miss the good 'ole days with a stroller--strap 'em in and get 'er done!)
So anyways we are in The Gap trying to get Abby a new outfit for her first day of school and Abby and Reese call me over and say, "Mommy, take a picture--look how happy we are!" I just had to laugh....I guess the "talk" was effective because we got everything done with only 2 break downs (which were quite minor), 4 potty breaks ( 2 of those were Greg and I) and we only lost Abby and Reese once for about 3 seconds (don't worry we found them in front of a TV watching the Wiggles:)
Gotta love shopping with kids!

What do you think?

Can you believe this is the first time I have had bangs since I was in high school!??
Ok so this is how it all came about-
Abby and I both had an appointment today to get our bangs trimmed but I have never gotten them cut straight across normally I get little side-cut bangs-you know the ones that sweep across...well anyways Christy was cutting them and I got a little daring!
As soon as I got done Abby and Reese were so funny---Abby says, "Mommy you look just like me--I love it!" And Reese kept asking to look at me again....he says I look very different! -not too sure what he thinks!
THEN I come home and had to face Greg;) Now he normally doesn't notice if I get my hair-cut--gosh- I could shave my head and he might say, "what's different about you honey?"
hehe --well he was a bit shocked....he loves it but he says I look very different too!
Isn't it crazy how different bangs can make you look?--who knew?
Anyways-I have begun the long- long journey of growing my hair out and I feel like now I at least have a bit of a hair style--maybe I can actually do it!:) -keep your fingers crossed!

Buckethead!

Reese "Buckethead" Stamps

Night-Night little guitar!

Abby has been wanting a guitar for so long and the other day she even asked for one for her birthday. So you can image how excited she was when Maw Maw gave her Greg's old guitar from when he was a kid. She came home the other day with it in tow and ohhhh was Reese jealous;)
But he was happy to find out that they BOTH get to share the guitar and if they were gonna fight about it then Daddy was gonna put it in his office for his own personal use:) (I think it's a bit too small for him but, hey, they believed me;)
Well anyway, for the first day or so they both were not sharing very well and when it came to bed time they couldn't agree on which room it would sleep in.....SO Mommy decided it would be just fine sleeping in the hallway between their doors! (picture above)
Well anyway, the first picture is of Reese playing the guitar with a bucket on his head -ok so he's a bit "different".... and no I didn't drop him on his head when he was little....he fell off the couch ALL by himself!:)

......actually he really did and it was so sad--I had just got done feeding him and gosh he couldn't have been more than 4 months old and I propped him up between two pillows and that little booger wiggled his way all the way off the coach and before I knew it he had fallen right off HEAD first---I sat there holding him on the floor and cried my eyes out....I just kept thinking, "WHAT AM I DOING WITH 2 KIDS???"
Thankfully that was almost 4 years ago and we're all doing just dandy:) Thank you Jesus!

Talent Show

Last night Greg and I invited some friends over to eat dinner and I thought it would be fun for the kids to come ready with a talent to perform for all the parents. Well it ended up sooo funny---we had 6 kids all under 5 and they were so excited and let's just say not much "talent" really happened!
Each of them had a turn and once they got up there (if they ever really got on the stage;) they either froze or in Abby's case she was all about the spotlight---I think she ended up "helping" everyone with their talent....isn't she sweet:)
Anyways the night was really special and the kids really enjoyed singing and dancing and they loved that each of us were out there cheering them on!

I posted one video of Charlie and Reese singing "I Can Fly"--they only knew those three words but they sang beautifully;) Charlie and Reese are obsessed with Peter Pan so they both wanted to dress-up as him so we call them Peter and Pan (they are twin brothers;) --it's the only way both of them can be Peter Pan at the same time....bet you didn't know Peter had a twin brother huh? (what ever works;)
I also tried to post other videos of the other kids but was unsuccessful-stink....I'll try again later!

Time with Maw Maw and Poppa

Landry and Reese--two crazy guys!

this is one serious shooter--he told me he was trying to hit the guy in the tent!

Wow Jerry had his hands full!

Jerry with the boys--this was a car bed...I think Jerry was trying to catch a little shut-eye:)

Abby and her jelly--Debbie forgot to take pictures (don't worry Debbie I understand:) I figure you probably would have gotten strawberry juice all over you camera anyways:) No worries- Abby was happy to pose for this picture!


On Friday Debbie and Jerry (Greg's parents) took the kids out to do something special for the morning!
Debbie took Charlie and Abby back to her house to make strawberry preserves--which Abby has been wanting to do and she wanted Charlie to help them too:) Debbie said they did a great job cutting and squishing the strawberries--Abby told me when she got home that I was gonna LOVE this jelly (she's always so great about remembering my favorites...I do LOVE strawberry jelly--and she was right it is great!) After they got done they went to have pizza and the day was hit!
I am so grateful for the time the kids get to spend with their grandparents--it's so important and will be some of the most precious memories they will ever have!

Now Jerry took the two younger grandkids, Landry and Reese (since making jelly would be a bit of a disaster with them:) to Cabela's --which Reese had never been to....I thought it was just like Bass Pro Shop so I never ventured in there but oh was I wrong;) Anyways the boys had so much fun seeing all the animals and getting to shoot guns and eat McDonald's (let's just say this is a "special" thing to get to go eat there because Mommy dislikes McDonald's ALOT--so we pretty much only go to Chic-Fil-A:) Anyways.....
When Reeser got home he told me two stories over and over-

1. He got to see a mountain lion eating the neck off of an elk--he thought this was so cool...but he told me not to worry because the blood wasn't really coming out! (not sure if he is aware that these animals were stuffed???)
   
2. Then he and Landry got some coins from the man working there to shoot the guns and Reese thought it was so funny that there was a man laying on back with his feet sticking out of this tent and every time he told us he would lay down on the ground and illustrate!
   

So as you can see the day was full of excitement and the kids had such a great time---thanks for taking them guys and also thanks for the time I got to get some things done--I had a great time myself;)

Going to the Chapel and we're....

Abby and Charlie at their "wedding"...I performed the ceremony.


.....gonna get married????

The other day Charlie (Abby's cousin) says to Anglea, "Mommy, I have a problem--I want to marry Abby and she's my cousin!"
How cute is he--they are so adorable...so close and have a sweet love for each other---but I told them you can't marry your cousin...well unless you move to Arkansas...hehe only kidding--sorry Catherine and Stacey;)
*** side note***
I seriously had a neighbor in college that was engaged to her 4th or 5th cousin--crazy weird--luckily they broke off their engagement! (I always thought that was creepy-they meet at a family reunion--eekkk!)

A*R*T CASTLE

She made a shield and she painted that dog herself- she named him Zak...not sure where she got that name??--but he sure is cute!

Isn't she the cutest artist you have ever seen....and so clean...that's my girl!


Tonight Abby started an art class and she absolutely LOVED it! I dropped her off at 6pm and she got to "create" for 2 hours--which she was thrilled about-I have done so many crafts and I'm starting to run out of ideas--now when I start one with her she says, "Mommy, we already did this one" --So- needlessly to say I welcome any help I can get--i am out of ideas:)
Anyways-she is the youngest in the class by about 2 years so we weren't sure how it would go, but when we picked her up the teachers were very impressed and said she was a natural--you should have seen the smile on her face--it was so precious!
She was so in her element and it was nice to see her loving something so much! We have tried a bunch of different classes and sports but she just hadn't found that one thing she had a passion for (like Reese with baseball;)
BUT.... she told me tonight that she is so happy when she does art and that she wants to do it forever!
***I think she got her "art ability" from my dad...sadly art wasn't my best subject!

( so do you like feeble attempt in making this entry look "artsy"---don't worry I think this is my first and last attempt--this is about as creative as I get:)

I have the best husband EVER!!!!!!

Okay, I must brag about what I found when I walked in the house after a LONG day of driving home from KC. Greg had been doing a ton of housework while we were gone! He had scrubbed the kitchen floors and wood floors and I'm talking grout and all--wow I don't think I have cleaned the grout yet....that's pretty embarrassing but let's just say that I am in the "maintaining" stage of housework right now---I hope to get better as the kids get older;)
Anyways he had also cleaned the refrigerator and washed all the base boards-- now that was a major scrub job!
He also painted his office--which we have been putting off for some time now!
Now can you believe how wonderful my husband is????
I am feeling so very loved right now---it means so much to me!
Thank you Greg you have won the husband of the year award in my book:)
And no you can NOT borrow him for a day to clean your house--he's mine;)

High School Musical

The last night we were in KC Granny took all of us to see High School Musical at Starlight which is a local outdoor theater there in the city. The kids were super funny--they were really into it and loved all the songs and dancing! Reese loved "Getcha Head in the Game"--he was bouncing up and down and you could tell he wanted to jump on the stage with them!
Abby loves the slow songs which is so funny...she's already a romantic at heart:)
On the way home from the show my sister took a video interview of the kids asking them what they liked most...it's pretty funny! Enjoy!
--oh in the video Reese talks about liking the girl in the blue underwear---she was not wearing underwear on stage they were just short shorts (a little too short for my taste)--just thought I would clarify;)
Also sorry the video is dark we were taping in the car!

Wonderscope!

Collecting golf balls....

Media Room--they got to learn how to run a video camera--it was huge!

Craft Room---Abby's favorite...Reese wanted to make EVERYTHING green for Peter Pan:)

This was a Lego bus/spaceship thing--everything (except the beds) was made of Legos!

Well we are back home in Texas now--we drove home Friday (long day--we beat our potty record from on the way to KC (6 stops)-this time we stopped EVERY hour....which took us 11 hours!!!) -Man my patience was really being tested...back in the day when I would drive back and forth to college I prided myself in the fact that I NEVER stopped--which made for quick trips and saved gas! Well that has gone down the drain--I am praying for the kids to grow larger bladders--we'll see if that's God's will for them:) hehe!
Anyways- while in KC Granny took the kids to Wonderscope-a children's museum near PaPa's work!
It was really cool-they had taken an old elementary school and turned all the classrooms into learning stations--they loved it! Granny and I weren't sure how long the kids would want to stay and we were both surprised when we couldn't get them out the door for lunch:)
They both loved the Ball Works room--they had about 1,000 golf balls and had made a bunch of different tracks to run the balls along--the kids were most interested in "collecting" the golf balls and seeing how many buckets they could fill....I'm not sure that was the idea behind the room but they sure loved it anyways:)
At the end of the hall they had this huge Lego room and everything was made of Legos...which was super cool!
This was just one of many things we did in KC and since I was kind of a slacker while we were there I have a bit of catching up to do:) oops...I will try my best!

Too MUCH Fun:)

At the water park with Tobey and Trevin--notice Reese is not very happy...this is how he smiles when he hasn't taken a nap for 3 days:)

Water rock climbing wall-how cool is that...Abby made it to the top 3 times!

My sister giving/taking a kiss from Reese! --notice he is holding a toy gun-too funny...I guess he's defending himself ;)

My cousin Chelsea, me and my sister

Well these pictures kinda capture about 3-4 days of our trip--we went to a water park and spent a lot of time at my sister's house. We had a busy, full and wonderful trip but by the end of the week the kids were SO tried--a couple nights Abby cried herself to sleep because she missed her daddy (so sad). So that's when Greg and I decided it was time to come home--we were sad to leave a day early but I think it was time the kids had some down time:)---today we all slept for a LONG afternoon nap!
Thanks so much Mom and Dad for letting us come stay so long--we had a great time and can't wait to come visit again!
And Christi and Scott thanks for all the fun we had at your house--Scott tell Christi to send me some pictures of the sleepover and Trevin's Birthday party--I would love to post about those too!

Pool Party Reunion!

Us girls with all our kids--we have multiplied!

Kami, Me, Jill and Julie--we all lived in the same dorm in college--good times!


On Tuesday I had some friends from college over to swim! See I recently got a Facebook account and have been able to get in contact with a ton of old friends from college and high school! After reconnecting with some of them I figured out they lived near my parents or that they would be visiting family in Lee's Summit the same time as me!
So I decided it would be great to try and get us all together at the same time in ONE place---I am thrilled that it actually worked out! We all have kids now--which is so weird-- because we were all friends during our "crazy" days --- I'm not sure any of us could have even kept a fish alive back then...but look how far we have come:P ...hey sometimes Greg and I look at each other and think, "who put us in charge of these guys?" --but hey we have kept 'em alive this far...that's pretty good i'd say!

Anyways we had a great time-we all got to catch up and our kids got along wonderfully....hey who knows maybe they'll all go to college together one day--go OBU!

"Captain Hook, this time you've gone too far!" -Peter Pan

How cute is he?

Uh-oh Peter. Watch out!


Finally Peter Pan found a Captain Hook that fights better than me:)


While Reese's cousin, Tobey, was in town Reese talked him into a bit of a duel--see Reese is totally obsessed with Peter Pan...he goes everywhere with his dagger and holster on his hip...it's adorable! Tobey was so great to play with him and Reese was so excited he could barely stand it! I was talking to my mom today that one of these days I need to keep count of how many times Reese talks about Peter Pan...seriously I think today (roughly) he mentioned him 30 times...wow!

**Also if anyone out there knows a place I can get Peter Pan birthday party stuff let me know....I am on the look out for anything and everything Peter Pan...suggestions are welcome:)

Too Much Fun!

Reese very happy he gets to sleep in Mommy's old bed!

The famous Veggie Tales room!

Gran (my mom's mom), Abby, Granny and Reese

Crazy kids on the slide!

Abby and Reese with Granny and PaPa right before the fireworks--notice the souvenirs...Reese picked a Royals hot dog and Abby got the big claw--I would have gotten a shirt if I were them;)

So we have been having soooo much fun that I have been too tired to blog at night:)
Greg came in town for the weekend so it was great to have him here a few days! Friday night we went to the Royals game in style--my mom's work has stadium club tickets so we got to eat as much food as we wanted and watch the game in the air-condition--wow that was wonderful! After the game there were fireworks and the kids got to stay up real late which is always fun for them!
Anyways besides the game we have really just been swimming and playing outside---my parents have a pool with a slide and both Abby and Reese have explored every which way to slide down it--forwards, backwards, feet first, sideways--scary-- they are so daring it amazes me! Also Reese is swimming --I mean really swimming with his face in the water and all--he catches on so quick!
Also in the first few pictures you see Reese in his bed (my old bed) and the famous Veggie Tales room---see when I left the house my mom transformed my room into a spectacular play room for the grandkids -which the kids LOVE! So pretty much if they aren't outside swimming they are in the play room having a blast! All the cousins have been together this weekend -Tobey(my brothers son), Trevin (sister's son) and Abby and Reese. They all spent the night with my sister and Uncle Scott last night....which means tons of fun, tons of sugar and very little sleeping---so today was pretty tough for the kids-- they were on the verge of a breakdown all day! We took Daddy to the airport tonight which is a pretty long drive and we weren't 3 miles out and both of them were out like a light---poor kids don't even remember dropping Daddy off at the airport:( We'll miss you Daddy!
We have a big week planned staring with the water park in the morning....I best get some sleep or I might be on the verge of a breakdown myself!:)