Texas Andersons

What a great Christmas with Nathan’s family!

We spent Friday morning hanging out at the apartment.  And then we headed to downtown San Antonio for our riverwalk adventure.

Everyone got all dressed up for our dinner at the Tower of the Americas.  And it was spectacular!  Between the delicious dinner, wonderful service, the boys’ excellent behavior, and the beautiful view, it was a great experience.

Then we walked the river to view all the Christmas lights.  And then headed to the Hotel Valencia to open some presents and spend the night.  The boys got several great gifts from Jenny and the grandparents (lego sets, plus a radio for Ben and a Buzz Lightyear and stuffed dogs for Evan).

Yesterday, we spent the day visiting with more of Nathan’s family at Uncle Andy’s house and playing with all the new toys.  After dinner at El Chaparral, I gave the boys their gifts from me (kids’ baking kits and Christmas cookbooks).  And with aprons on, we spent the evening baking cookies for Santa and reading Christmas stories.

This morning the boys woke up to one HUGE stocking filled with eight lego kits, two kids’ cameras, a Woody doll for Evan, and a monogrammed pocket knife for Ben.  As we spent the morning putting together all the lego sets, I also made CUTE reindeer pancakes.  And then we packed the boys up to head home with Granmom and Papa for a week!

What a great holiday!  We hope you all had a joyous Christmas!!!

PS- Thank you, Larry, Debbie, and Jenny for all the great gifts for the boys.  And THANK YOU so much for the Sea World season passes.  Checked the schedule today… and can’t wait to take the boys when they re-open in February!

A couple of Saturdays ago was Rackpace’s Christmas party.  So we got the boys off to Granmom and Papa’s for the night and watched to see what the weather was going to do.  After seeing temps drop and the rain start, we still braved the outdoors and headed to Fiesta Texas.  After a couple of damp, cold hours, we came back to Boerne for dessert at the Cypress Grille and a movie on the couch (in our pj’s).

On Sunday was Mary’s 8th birthday party.  The boys attended, getting to go to Clay Casa to join in on the fun and paint a piece of pottery.

Ben, Evan, and I attended the scouts Christmas party.  With a huge buffet of food, five craft stations, a cake walk, and Santa to visit, the boys had a great time.

Evan’s school had their Christmas program on their last day of school before the break.  The 3-year-old classes sang “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” and “Do You Hear What I Hear.”  And during this program, he stood to do a little singing, a little dancing, and a little showing off.  And his gift from Ms. Kristyn was a hippo ornament.  So cute!

After Ben’s last day on Friday, we headed to Devine Acres Farm on Saturday.  Breakfast with Santa was pancakes, sausage, and hot chocolate.  Then the boys got to visit with Santa for a while (and ask for lots of Legos).  And then we raced ducks, ran through the hay maze, played on the playground, played washers, took a hay ride, and roasted marshmallows.  Love that place; love that Santa!

Then we finally got around to the boys’ Christmas pics.  Dressed in their new Christmas t’s and pj’s, we did portraits with Santa, in front of the fireplace, and in front of the studio’s new cypress tree.  So cute!

The boys’ first day off was our only day home.  And we spent most of the day in pajamas.

The second day, we picked up lunch from the Sandwich Garden and went to visit Nathan’s work (and slide down their new slide).  And then Ben spent the afternoon at Rackspace with Daddy.

Third day off, we went on our 4th annual trip downtown to watch The Polar Express at the Imax and to have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe.  Lots of fun to have Mandy and Mary join us for the lunch (and safari!).

Fourth day off, we had Marli, Robert, Lillian, and Joseph out for a playdate and to make gingerbread houses.  We had our hands full!  But the kids had a great time playing with each other… and sneaking candy.

My first car was a “boat.”  An old maroon Chevy Impala I bought off my aunt and uncle.  We called it the USS Bierstedt.    It ran; it had a/c and heat.  But thanks to only an am radio, I had to drive around with my boombox and d batteries.  (seriously!)

The high school/college friends that knew me back then would probably remember many trips to the beach or the Flagship in that car.  Memories…

My parents bought my second vehicle.  A cute, little, green Chevy Cavalier.  I was told it was very “me.”  Great used vehicle.  Bad safety ratings.  Started having some problems with it (including not being able to roll down my driver’s side window).  And I wanted something more.

In 2001, Nathan and I bought me a 2002 blue Chevy Silverado.  I was happy!  The perfect color, look, and features I wanted.  Incredibly reliable vehicle.  Hit 100,000 miles a couple of years ago.  Turned 10 years old this month.  And I traded her in yesterday.

What’s next for me? 

Here are pics of me almost exactly ten years ago.  Maybe I’ll post pics tomorrow of my new _____.

Sooooooo crazy busy!

Since the last blog…

We got our family Christmas portraits done!  It was a lot of work to tame my own kids!  But with my dad behind the camera and my mom working to distract the boys and make them smile, we got a handful of great images!  (I was so excited about them, I stayed up way too late that night proofing, editing, and designing our Christmas cards.) 

Next, the boys were out of school for the Thanksgiving break!  With 17 print orders waiting for me to edit, I decided to stay home and work.  But Nathan, Ben, and Evan packed up and headed to Ft. Worth for five days at Granmom Debbie and Papa Larry’s house.

The boys got to visit with family, take the usual wagon rides down the Anderson’s driveway and street, eat Debbie’s wonderful cooking, play in their yard, and take a hike at the nature center.

I spent those days at my computer editing and ordering (watching movies as I worked), running on the treadmill, or catching up on sleep.  It was fabulous!

We had our one tenant at Shutter-Happy move out.  So we decided to take the space.  We spent a few days moving in ”girly” furniture and decor.  It’s now a beautiful room for taking portraits and for clients to pick up their print orders.

I spent a morning with the architect, making all the last decisions and changes.  Seeing some final floorplans, drawings, and room views… I am so exciting to start in on this house.  It’s going to be beautiful.

Saturday was Boerne’s Bah Humbug 5k and Tiny Tim Fun Run.  Emily, Lindsey, and I woke up to drizzle and temps in the 60’s.  We all got dressed and all headed downtown.  When the starting gun sounded, Lindsey took off at full speed, I fumbled with my phone (trying to get my music started), and Emily ran right to her car to go home.  Ha!  Couldn’t help but laugh.  The first 10 minutes were miserable drizzle, but then the weather improved and I got my groove.  Lindsey got first place in our age group!  And they timed me at 34:46.  Not as great as the last one, but good despite my bad start.

And then Ben and Evan were lined up with the other kids for the fun run.  Excitement built as they all got to stand behind the starting line… and then they were off and running!  Ben did well, finishing in the middle of the pack.  And Evan rode in on Nathan’s shoulders after he walked/jogged most of it.

After that in the morning, we headed to Main Street in the evening for the annual Christmas parade.  Thanks to the better-than-usual weather conditions, it was packed.  But we still had fun.

This week’s highlight for Ben was scouts night.  The boys learned how to take care of and use a pocket knife.  They even got to practice whittling on bars of soap.  He thought that was pretty cool.

This week’s highlight for me was taking my employees out for some Christmas fun.  We started at Home Depot to do a little Christmas lights shopping for our new cypress tree we had planted at the studio.  Next, we headed for pedicures.  (I hadn’t had a pedicure in probably six years, so that was a treat!)  Then we had a delicious lunch at the Cypress Grille… and picked up goodies at Candy on Main.  Such a fun day!  Love my girls!

So many ups and downs!

Felt nauseous for a week.  Maybe the stress of moving?

Some fabulous portrait sessions!  Quite a high!

Emily went through the agony of interviewing a bunch of applicants for our marketing position.  Bleh.  And then we picked the perfect person for the job.  Yay!

I finally got the boys to the pumpkin patch.  We had a great time, picked out a few awesome pumpkins for the apartment and studio, and I got one of my favorite pics of them this year!  Isn’t ^that^ cute?!

Scouts had their Halloween event.  Games galore!  And lots of food.

We took the boys to Fiesta Texas for Halloween fun, trick-or-treating, and the rides.

We attended River Mountain Ranch’s trunk-or-treat event, complete with a hay ride, dinner, and lots of games for the kids to play.

And for Halloween, we took the boys to the church’s trunk-or-treat and then walked our old neighborhood to visit with the neighbors and fill up on candy.

We bought Evan his first bike.  Totally skipped the little 12″ wheels and went straight for 16″.  And it has a handle bar that revs.  Very cool!  He loves it.

I got the worst knot in my neck!  Woke up in incredible pain and crying one night.  Two weeks of hurting.  Stress of dozens of print orders waiting on me… and no free babysitting in sight?

Nathan FINALLY finished his classes in Austin and earned his General Management Certification.  Hooray!  Such a great accomplishment; such a relief.

Nathan took the boys for an outing on Saturday.  He treated them to lunch in Fredericksburg.  And then they went and hiked at Enchanted Rock.  I hear Evan did a great job keeping up…. heard they all had fun.

And Sunday, we took them to the South Texas Maize.  The boys shot corn into the field, jumped on the big popper, rode in the barrel train… and we all got lost in the corn field.  And then dinner at Fralo’s was delicious… and fun!  (did you know they’ll give kids pizza dough to play with while waiting for the meal?)

After three weeks off from running, I am back in the groove and feeling good.  (even my knees seem to be okay)  Gearing back up for the 5k in just a few weeks!

Whew!  Highs and lows; ups and downs.  Nothing to do but enjoy the ride.

Tuesday- I had a session, we met with our architect, and Ben had scouts.  In between, we were busy packing the house.

Wednesday- The movers showed up and got a ton of our stuff to the storage units and to the new apartment.  We packed and unpacked.  We cleaned.  We looked back… and the movers didn’t get nearly enough done.

Thursday- I had two more sessions.  Nathan moved a bunch of stuff all by himself.  Had a cleaning company come in to get the house ready for the new family to move in.

Friday- Had some things at the house fixed.  More packing and unpacking.  Highlight was all the facebook messages for my birthday!

Saturday- Nathan, Ben, and Evan walked/jogged Fabra’s 1-mile Fun Run.  Emily, Beth, and I ran the 5k.    Then it was back to errands and unpacking.  Highlight was getting to go out to dinner for my birthday with Marli… and having a margarita!

Sunday- More packing and unpacking.  Two sessions.  Thankfully, Myk came into town to help us get the last of our stuff off the property.

Monday- Signed all the paperwork.  Done!  So tired…. so, so tired.

Okay, so I didn’t have to wait until the 15th to officially run a 5k.  Mission accomplished on the 1st for St. Peter’s 5K and Fall Festival!  Only stopping to take a quick drink halfway through, I jogged the entire route.  Time was 38:09 (not bad for my first time).  Setting a goal to do better on the 15th.

Training until October 15th:

Day 55- October 1- Ran my first 5k in 38:09- 10,005 overall steps
Day 56- October 2- No excercise (in pain)- 3,557 overall steps
Day 57- October 3- 1 hour on treadmill at 3.0mph- 11,023 overall steps
Day 58- October 4- Walked the neighborhood with Evan- 11,654 overall steps 
Day 59- October 5- No excercise (still hurting, too busy)- ? overall steps (no pedometer)
Day 60- October 6- Week Seven, Day Two of C25K- ? overall steps
Day 61- October 7- Walked Curington’s track for Walk a Thon- ? overall steps
Day 62- October 8- No exercise (vacation)- ? overall steps
Day 63- October 9- No exercise (vacation)- ? overall steps
Day 64- October 10- Walked 10 minutes at 3.0mph and jogged 20 minutes at 4.5mph on the treadmill- ? overall steps
Day 65- October 11- Walked 10 minutes at 3.0mph and jogged 25 minutes at 4.5mph on the treadmill- ? overall steps
Day 66- October 12- No excercise (moving)- ? overall steps
Day 67- October 13- No excercise (moving, working)- ? overall steps
Day 68- October 14- No excercise (moving)- ? overall steps
Day 69- October 15- Didn’t feel ready, but ran the 5k in 33:56!!!!!  ? overall steps

Friday was Curington’s Walk a Thon.  Music was blaring; food was being served; kids and parents were everywhere!  In all, Ben walked 25 laps.  And Evan and I walked probably 8-10 of those laps with him.  Lots of fun!  (Thanks to Granmom Loretta and Papa Bobby for the $20 pledge.)

Saturday, we got up and headed to Port A (after an oil change and a trip to the store).

We stayed somewhere new.  The Sandcastle Condominiums were great.  We got a one-bedroom with a big kitchen… and a beach and pool view!  We loved our balcony!

That afternoon, the boys got to spend a while in the pool and then headed back to the condo to make pizza while I got to enjoy the beach with clients.  Very fun portrait session.

Sunday, we went straight to the sand to build sandcastles and spent the rest of the morning jumping waves and swimming.  Then (because the storms rolled in), we did the tourist thing and drove into town to take funny pictures, shop at the gift stores, and stop off at the candy company.  After, we drove into Rockport to have dinner at Charlotte Plummer’s, enjoyed watching the dolphins as we rode the ferry, and had fun walking the jetties.

Today we made it back to the beach one more time so Ben could use his new boogie board.  And then we made the long drive home. 

So now we’re back to reality, back to the normal everyday callings.  Plus, Nathan started packing us up, getting us ready to move into our new apartment on Wednesday.  It’s gonna be a busy week!

We sold the house!  The appraisal and inspections are done.  Looks like it’s really going to go through.  So we’re busy lining up movers, an apartment, another storage unit, and appointments to move forward with our home plans.  Yay!!!

At the last Scouts meeting, Ben received tthree pins (swimming, biking, and the summertime activity award).  So proud of his accomplishments!

I did school portraits at two different schools.  And one of them was Evan’s Mother’s Day Out.  He did great.  Stayed with his class, listened to his teacher, waved to me.  And was ready to sit and smile when it was his turn.

Yesterday morning Emily, Beth, and I tried out our first 5k.  Emily and I jogged the whole time.  We all made it across the finish line under 42 minutes.  (my time was 39:08)  It was very exciting.  So glad we did it.  And the icing on the cake?  Ben, Evan, and Sammi were there to cheer us on to the finish line! 

Last night, Lewis, Emily, Beth, Nathan, and I enjoyed the Cibolo Nature Center gala.  With all the best restaurants in town present, we had a wonderful time sampling foods and visiting.

And today we took the boys to Chuck E Cheese for Robert’s 6th birthday party.  The boys played games non-stop.  Ben got to see some of his oldest friends (he’s known Robert and Mary since they were all babies).  And Nathan and I got to visit with some of our oldest friends (friends we’ve known since we were little). 

These past two weeks we’ve had big accomplishments and so much fun.  Now, back to work.  We have a marketing director to find for Shutter-Happy.  We need to prepare to pack up and move this house.  And I have six clients’ orders and two school orders waiting on me!  yikes!

Maybe it’s not such a daunting idea.  I’m getting 7,000 to 10,000 steps every day.  I’ve been able to jog around the neighborhood (not just the treadmill).  And we’re doing a practice 5k tomorrow.  I can do this!

Training until October 15th:

Day 25- September 1- No exercise (very busy day)- 6,597 overall steps
Day 26- September 2- Week One, Day One of C25K (with Nathan!)- 10,510 overall steps 
Day 27- September 3- Week One, Day Two of C25K (with Nathan!)- 7,477 overall steps
Day 28- September 4- Week One, Day Three of C25K (with Nathan!) plus 30 minutes on treadmill at 3.0mph- 11,088 overall steps
Day 29- September 5- Week Two, Day One of C25K (with Nathan) plus 30 minutes on treadmill at 3.0mph- 11,019 overall steps- 172 pounds
Day 30- September 6- Week Four, Day One of C25K plus 20 minutes on treadmill at 3.0mph- 12,630 overall steps
Day 31- September 7- Week Two, Day Two of C25K (with Nathan) plus 30 minutes on treadmill at 3.0mph- 10,299 overall steps
Day 32- September 8- No exercise (feeling awful)- 4,134 overall steps
Day 33- September 9- Week Two, Day Three of C25K (with Nathan) plus a short jog around our block- 10,210 overall steps
Day 34- September 10- Week Four, Day Two of C25K plus 30 minutes on treadmill at 3.5mph- 11,078 overall steps
Day 35- September 11- Week Four, Day Three of C25K plus 30 minutes on the treadmill at 3.0mph- 10,459 overall steps
Day 36- September 12- Week Five, Day One of C25K plus just 10 minutes on the treadmill at 3.0mph- 10,152 overall steps- 171 pounds
Day 37- September 13- Jogged 15 minutes on the treadmill at 4.5mph plus 15 minutes at 3.0mph- 10,558 overall steps
Day 38- September 14- Week Five, Day Two of C25K plus 15 minutes on the treadmill at 3.0mph- 10,594 overall steps
Day 39- September 15- No excercise (Nathan was out of town)- 6,177 overall steps
Day 40- September 16- Week Five, Day Three of C25K plus 15 minutes on the treadmill at 3.0mph- 11,728 overall steps
Day 41- September 17- Jogged for 30 minutes at 4.5mph and walked for 15 minutes at 3.0mph on the treadmill- 10.921 overall steps
Day 42- September 18- Week Three, Day One of C25K (with Nathan)- 6,587 overall steps
Day 43- September 19- Treadmill at 4.0mph for 30 minutes and 3.0mph for 30 minutes- 10,216 overall steps- 171 pounds
Day 44- September 20- Week Six, Day One of C25K plus 15 minutes at 3.0mph on the treadmill- 11,843 overall steps
Day 45- September 21- 45 minutes jogging on the treadmill at 4.5mph plus 15 minutes walking at 3.0mph- 11,059 overall steps
Day 46- September 22- Week Six, Day Two of C25K- 11,175 overall steps
Day 47- September 23- Week Three, Day Two of C25K (with Nathan)- 10,213 overall steps
Day 48- September 24- Week Three, Day Three of C25K (with Nathan)- 11,043 overall steps
Day 49- September 25- Week Six, Day Three of C25K plus 15 minutes at 3.0mph on the treadmill- 10,186 overall steps
Day 50- September 26- 35 minute jog at 4.5mph plus 25 minute walk at 3.0mph on treadmill- 11,654 overall steps- 171 pounds
Day 51- September 27- No exercise (very busy day)- 7,238 overall steps
Day 52- September 28- Walked all over Boerne for 1.5 hours- 15,428 overall steps
Day 53- September 29- No exercise (Nathan out of town)- 8,015 overall steps
Day 54- September 30- Week Seven, Day One of C25K plus 15 minutes walking- 10,460 overall steps

After the boys both took “apple” cake pops to their teachers during their first weeks of school, we decided we would try our hands at making our own.  And the boys chose to make lego guys!  So I baked a mandarin orange cake, crumbled it, added sweetened condensed milk, and shaped lego heads onto sticks.  After sitting in the fridge overnight, we added marshmallow halves to the guys and dipped them in yellow candy coating.  Voila!  CUTE (and edible) lego guys!

Then Nathan got to surprise Ben with tickets to the UT/BYU game in Austin.  Sweet!  So, after a morning of fun and exploration at the Cibolo Nature Center, they packed up and headed to the game.  Although Nathan complained about UT playing poorly, Ben loved that it was a close and exciting game.

Our next project was a portrait display in our local Snowflake Donuts.  We spent a morning in the shop discussing our ideas and taking measurements (as we enjoyed their delicious goodies).  And then we picked up a big box of donuts to start our “sweets” portrait sessions.  Beth’s, Emily’s, and our kids had a blast.  And I swear, Evan was born to be a donut model. 

Then the boys got to spend a weekend at Garner with Nathan, Granmom, and Papa.  Lots of baseball, riding on scooters, bike riding, eating, and swimming.  It sounds like the boys had a great time.

And while they were away, Emily, Beth, and I hosted our 1st annual Ladies’ Night at Shutter-Happy!  What an evening… Beth baked the most delicious pineapple cupcakes, fudgy brownies, chocolate truffles, and cookies.  We had a dozen vendors set up with their merchandise (ready for Christmas shoppers).  About 50 ladies attended the event.  We sold gift cards to the studio.  We gave away amazing gifts in our goody bags and awesome prizes in our door prize drawing.  It was so much fun!  (exhausting to plan and host, but fun)  We’re excited to start planning next year’s party!

(Thanks so much to all the businesses who were present Saturday night, all businesses who donated door prizes or goody bag give-aways, and all ladies who attended the event!)

Me?  Prepare to run a 5K?  Okay, not competitively… just to finish.  Deep breath… treadmill ready… Couch to 5K program and Pandora downloaded on my phone…  Go!

Training until October 15th:

Day 1- August 8- 3.4mph on the treadmill for 1 hour- 10,368 overall steps- 170 pounds
Day 2- August 9- 3.4mph on the treadmill for 1 hour- 11,467 overall steps
Day 3- August 10- 3.0mph on the treadmill for 1 hour- 10,034 overall steps
Day 4- August 11- 3.0mph on the treadmill for 1 hour- 10,071 overall steps
Day 5- August 12- walked the block with Evan- 7,082 overall steps
Day 6- August 13- 3.0mph on the treadmill for 1 hour- 12,250 overall steps
Day 7- August 14- 3.0mph on the treadmill for 1 hour- 8,169 overall steps
Day 8- August 15- Week One, Day One of C25K plus 3.5mph on the treadmill for 30 minutes- 11,250 overall steps- 172 pounds
Day 9- August 16- walked Fiesta Texas- 7,035 overall steps
Day 10- August 17- Week One, Day Two of C25K- 10,524 overall steps
Day 11- August 18- Week One, Day Three of C25K- 10,084 overall steps
Day 12- August 19- No excercise (hospital day)- 4,789 overall steps
Day 13- August 20- Week Two, Day One of C25K- 10,018 overall steps
Day 14- August 21- Week Two, Day Two of C25K- 8,415 overall steps
Day 15- August 22- Week Two, Day Three of C25K- 10,491 overall steps; 171 pounds
Day 16- August 23- Week Two, Day Three of C25K- 11,118 overall steps
Day 17- August 24- Week Three, Day One of C25K- 8,216 overall steps
Day 18- August 25- Week Three, Day Two of C25K, TWICE!!!- 10,489 overall steps
Day 19- August 26- Week Three, Day Three of C25K, TWICE!- 10,235 overall steps
Day 20- August 27- Week Four, Day One of C25K plus an extra 35 minutes on the treadmill at 3.0mph- 10,514 overall steps
Day 21- August 28- 3.0mph on the treadmill for 1 hour plus lots of walking and stairs at Fiesta Texas waterpark- 11,605 overall steps
Day 22- August 29- Week Four, Day One of C25K plus 30 minutes on treadmill at 3.0mph- 10,546 overall steps- 169 pounds
Day 23- August 30- Week Four, Day Two of C25K plus 30 minutes on treadmill at 3.0mph- 11,112 overall steps
Day 24- August 31- Jogged the circle of the neighborhood plus 25 minutes on treadmill at 3.5mph- 10,255 overall steps

Ben’s last week of summer was fun and exciting, full of activities.  But Evan, since he was recovering from his surgery, we kept things low-key.

We spent most of the week at home, making sure he got his antibiotics and pain meds.  I ventured out with him a couple of days to go to the studio or run errands. 

But we really ventured out on Sunday!  We packed up all our swim stuff and headed to Fiesta Texas with friends Marli, Robert, Lillian, and Joseph. 

We floated the lazy river, swam in the pools, went down water slides… had a great time!  It was the perfect thing to do, as the temperatures were some of the hottest of the summer.

Then, yesterday Evan had his Meet the Teacher night.  We got to visit with the other kids in his class, get to know his teacher, and try out his new classroom.  (He loved the new room so much, we had to drag him out crying) 

And today was the first day of school!  He couldn’t wait to go!  We ate and got ready in a hurry.  He had a fabulous day.  And again, I had to drag him out crying.

And me?  SO grateful for Mother’s Day Out!  I was able to get through one client’s order and tackle my inbox.  Love it!  So glad that boys are back in school.

Day One- I took the boys up to Northrup Park for a few hours.  Up at the pavilion, we had a picnic lunch, Evan roller skated, and then they raced around on their scooter and big wheel.  Then we headed down to the playground to play.

Day Two- After taking Evan to his ent appointment and to have pre-surgical bloodwork done, we met Nathan up at Fiesta Texas for waterpark fun.  We spent all afternoon enjoying the two kiddie pools.  And I got Ben and Evan to ride one of the waterslides with me!  Whee!

Day Three- Just boring, old errands.

Day Four- I took the boys to the lake for a picnic and swimming.  Thanks to the water guns we took with us, we spent hours there… and there was lots of laughter!  Then, we headed to Curington’s Meet the Teacher night to find out who Ben’s teacher is going to be this year and to dinner out.

Day Five- Ben got to spend the day and night at Granmom’s while Nathan, Evan, and I headed to the hospital for Evan’s tonsillectomy.  After several stressful hours, we were back home… and Evan was awake and back to his normal, cute self.  A new train, a bouquet of balloons, and popsicles made his day!

Day Six- The Scouts had their annual bbq lunch, so Nathan and Ben headed to the church to help serve hundreds of plates.

Day Seven- Nathan and Ben headed out to Splashtown for Ben’s last day of summer.  They spent several hours there, enjoying the wave pool, lazy river, and lots of waterslides.  Sounds like they had a great time!  And while they were gone, Evan and I caught up on chores, played, watched movies, and made cupcakes. 

And today, Ben was excited to be up and getting ready for the first day of school.  He can’t wait to work with his new teacher, learn, and see all his friends again!

We got rain!  One day.  Very short shower.  But it was enough to go out and enjoy it.  And it had been so long since we had seen rain, the boys couldn’t wait to go ride their bikes in it and go puddle-jumping.

Ben got to attend one more summer camp… at the Cibolo Nature Center.  He spent the week going on nature hikes, making casts of footprints, swimming in the creek, learning songs, doing crafts, playing games, and making new friends.  He loved it!

The boys went to Lillian’s 3rd birthday party.  A swimming event at their house, everyone stayed cool and had a great time.  (and Evan enjoyed hiding out in the playroom playing with their trains the entire time) 

Emily and I attended the Hill Country Pregnancy Care Center’s Ladies’ Luncheon.  A room full of hundreds of Boerne women and wonderful food!  We had a great time.

Nathan took the boys to Connor’s 3rd birthday party.  And it sounds like they had a blast at the park.

We spent a day at the lake.  We paddled the canoe around for quite a while, ate lunch on the water, and did a bunch of swimming and water gun-spraying.

I dropped Ben off at the Boerne Cooking Cottage for a one-day summer camp.  It was all chocolates!  He said they made several delicious items that they ate during the morning.  And he brought home a few things to share with us too.

We made it to the last German concert of the summer. 

The boys spent a fews day at my parents’.  Sounds like they had a great time hanging out and playing.  But they mostly spent time in water (in their pool and at Splashtown).  At Splashtown, Ben and Angie spent lots of time in the big kids’ section and going down the body slides.  And Granmom and Evan spent their day in the little kids’ area or tubing around the lazy river.  They loved it.  And they’re ready to go back… or try Schlitterbahn.

With the boys away, Nathan and I got to go out to a nice dinner at the Grey Moss Inn.  The food was incredible!  And it was sure nice not to have the kids to entertain and shush.

Last weekend, we spent an afternoon at the Malibu Castle.  The boys rode the go-karts (even Evan was now tall enough to ride as a passenger), we played putt-putt golf, and we tried out their bumper boats for the first time (and everyone got soaked!).

And I took the boys to Emerald Rainbow Play Center yesterday.  So much fun!  We spent some time at the train table, jumped in the bounce houses, played mini-bowling, and slid down the huge inflatable slide.  And Ben tried the rock climbing wall.

Very busy wrapping up summer!  Can’t wait to see what this next week holds…