Wednesday, August 3, 2011

texas, back to school, and end of summer

So, one of my blogger friends who I stalk daily, Cara from The First Grade Parade has introduced me to my new favorite computer obsessions… one of them, I am using right now called Windows Live Writer – if you are interested, click on the link to her blog and check out her recent posts… it makes blogging super easy – if you are a frequent blogger, you know the frustrations of uploading numerous pictures… And my other new obsession is Pinterest which is like an online clipboard- let’s just say that you should give it a try… I have already pinned about 200 things! Lots of neat ideas in one place.

Now, back to my post about what I have been up to… whew – let’s just say I have been really busy… but it has been sooooo much fun. Momma, Sara, and I ventured South to Texas last month. Momma and I have been numerous times to visit family but it was Sara’s first trip – so we did things that we had not done in years and some that I had never done. Our first adventure was the 16 hour car ride- our GPS “Gertrude” directed us on our way with no trouble… We split up the driving and it was not a bad ride (complete with a pit stop at Target).

One of the stories that we got the most laughs out of happened at a convenience store on the way down… Three women traveling together – we all had to tee tee. We head in the restroom where we discover two stalls- one is full and one is nasty… we stand there making awkward small talk waiting on the one that was full and this is what we hear… “ya’ll waiting on the bathroom?” – really? no we were just hanging out in here – she then says the following, and I am quoting here – “well, I ‘m gone let ya’ll go ahead because I got some BIG business to do in there” as she comes out, she informs me (the first one in) that “I already padded the seat for you” – like I was going to sit on the paper she had already sat on… if you are not laughing then I guess it is one of those had to be there moments because it was hilarious to us – while I was using the potty and trying not to laugh out loud, she tells Momma and Sara that the reason she has to do BIG business is because they had eaten KFC a few miles back… Got to love people who share too much!

We made it to South Padre Island late Friday night and crashed. We slept late on Saturday and then took a ride around the Island so Sara could see the sights. Sara and I made our way to the beach to discover that the sand down there is more like sandy dirt (we know that ours in GS is not like that only because it is hauled in) – nonetheless, we decided the pool was more for us. It was the most beautiful pool and super relaxing. Everyone enjoyed fish tacos for supper and I stuck with my trusty mac and cheese! On Sunday morning, Sara woke up with a wild hair to ride horses on the beach. While this is something that has always been on my bucket list, I have never thought about doing it while at the Island. We headed out that morning and had the best time.





I will not even lie – I was sore the next day. I have always loved horses but never quite learned how to take the bounce out of my ride! Monday was spent by Sara and I at Schlitterbahn Water Park and let me tell you, whoever had the idea to wait in line for a water slide in a lazy river is a genius. It was a blast, we acted like five year olds and giggled all day!

On Tuesday, we traveled to the Harlingen area to visit some more family, eat at our favorite Mexican place – authentic Mexican place- and wander as close to the border as we could get. I am still saddened by the fact that it is not safe to cross the Mexican border anymore. The drug wars are too dangerous to travel over. However, I wish I had one more trip I could make. It is such an experience to see that type of culture. However, it is not such a great experience that I am willing to risk my life… That afternoon, we headed North to San Antonio. We made a pit stop by Kingsville, Texas to visit the King Ranch museum – this was cooked up by Momma and Sara. I had never heard of King Ranch. It was a neat museum and a fun pit stop. We made it to our hotel and got checked in. We attempted to make our way on the River Walk to the restaurant area only to discover we had no clue where we were headed… luckily, we ran into a nice jogger who pointed us in the right direction – two miles up the river. We opted to eat at Hard Rock Café which was delicious… we stopped by a few shops and headed home to rest for the busy next day.


Wednesday was packed full with the Alamo and Sea World. The Alamo was the same as always (Momma insists we go every time)- but still interesting to see that part of history. Last time I went to Sea World was in Orlando when I was babysitting – long story short, it was hot and miserable… however, this time it was possibly my favorite part of our trip. We arrived just in time to see a sea lion show; we also saw the Shamoo show, a trick Ski Show, and a Beluga Whale/birds/water acrobats show… by far my favorites were the killer whales and the trick ski show.


We then visited the dolphins for feeding time, the sharks, and the water park.



We also talked Momma into riding with us – we waited in line entirely too long but it was fun! The day ended with showers, a seconds rest, and the Riverwalk again. This time, we decided to wait on a water taxi which was much easier than the two mile hike.



We chose the Rainforest Café for supper and it was amazing. I had never eaten at one and I was amazed by the décor. The manager came to our table and entertained us with card tricks while we waited on our food. He was funny and the wait was quick. He also gave us a free dessert called a Volcano – delish!


We took a real Taxi back to our hotel and packed up. Sara and I were both a little homesick so we chose to drive early and left at 6 a.m. We were home by about 7 that night and pooped. I had missed all of my boys – Daniel, Daddy, Mo, Tyler, Rhett, and Cole…

All of that happened almost a month ago… and since then, lots more has happened :) After coming home on Thursday, I packed up and headed North to Daniel’s for the weekend. It had been a while since I visited and was due for a lazy weekend. The weekend turned out to not be so lazy when Daniel found Miss Belle on Saturday. He found this dog on Craig’s List and it turns out she was about two miles from his house. Other than tee-teeing on the floor, she is a great puppy who provides lots of company to Daniel.




That Sunday, I made a running trip back home in time to teach VBS for the week. The theme was Big Apple Adventure – and it was definitely and adventure. I am always amazed at the VBS songs and how they teach the kids – if you have never heard John 3:16, the rap version, then you should. I love VBS, it is such a fun/busy time. I was so absolutely worn out by Thursday that I threw my Costas in the trash can at the church… needless to say, Friday morning I was digging in the dumpster :( but I found them :) with no scratches (that weren’t there before) and just fine. It was a lesson that I need to rest more and not try to do much!

That weekend, we took another river trip to Demopolis. Although we got in a little rain, the trip was a blast – as always!!




This past week was busier than most with preparing my classroom which will be filled with 22 kiddos in 6 days and getting ready for our big three man scramble. The tournament is one of my favorite weekends of the year. There are 52 teams and 156 golfers that come into town once a year. Most of them have been coming for years so it’s like a reunion all weekend. Another fun thing about this year was that Kaley came to visit. It was nice to have her here to enjoy the fun and we made some GREAT memories – some we will never live down!!






This week will be spent in the classroom. It is coming along so nicely and I am so close but there is so much more to do. There will be a back to school post complete with pictures before school starts. Tomorrow is my favorite nephew's second birthday - he doesn't know it yet but Aunt Curt will be surprising him with a yummy birthday biscuit and balloon - having him across the street makes him easier to spoil (as if I ever had a problem)... birthday and back to school in the next post! Until then....

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