Fiesta Texas

For James' birthday last year, we purchased Six Flags season passes. We use them quite regularly, since we live maybe 10 mins from Six Flags Over Texas.

One of the things James wanted to do while in San Antonio was to go to Six Flags Fiesta Texas. The man loves his amusement parks, that's fer sure. As we were driving there, he was all "how cool would it be to go to every Six Flags in the country?" So rad, man. So rad.... I'll be sitting over here with my popcorn and Slurped, dreaming about the beach.

It really was a beautiful, hot, humid day.

Lovely.

We gave Fiesta Texas a thumbs up....

Looking back, we should have skipped the disaster that was the water park and just stayed and found more rides to ride. It was probably a bit too busy a weekend to go.... we (and by we I mean they) only rode maybe 3 rides, the dang lines were so long. But we had fun, nonetheless.

And James had a crazy fast coaster buddy in Emily.... so they got to ride at least one big kid ride!  

Around 2, we thought we'd hop on over to the water park.

Uh no.

The first warning sign should have been the mile long line that we had to CUT INTO.
(sorry folks)

But we went in anyways.

After a few minutes, we could tell it would take some luck to get a chair in a shaded spot. And with poor Ollie getting hotter by the minute, Emily & Jed said their goodbye's for the day.

We finally found a chair to stow our stuff on.... and the kids played and rode some smaller slides.

The kiddie pool you see behind Aube.... yeah, well.... they had it closed because they couldn't see the bottom! Too murky! Omyword....that's so gross. So, while James and the kids went to ride a bigger slide...I sat murky-poolside and people-watched. Wowza. Nothing like an amusement waterpark to keep you amused.... maybe that's what they meant by amusement! heh.

And to check the clear-ness of the water....a lifeguard would walk out to the middle of the pool and submerge a life-size baby. I found this ridiculously hilarious for some reason.... tho others, if not knowing what was going on, might find it horrid. That dang baby looked REAL, yo. Real.

 James and the kids came back from that water slide AN HOUR LATER. I was sitting there, watching the baby drama, eating popcorn and sippin' on a Slurpee, thinking YAY, they got to ride more than one.

Uh, nope.

Just one.

In line for an hour.

What were we thinking???

Then to top it off....a storm rolled in. And it was a-rollin' fast!

The lifeguards cleared the area and ALL the waterpark occupants exited.....

TOGETHER.

Then it poured.... as we were squeezing ourselves out of the waterpark.

Poured.

Good thing we were already wet and in swimsuits.

But oh my-lanta....I've got some claustrophobia issues. But what can you do, other than just fast to yer chirrens and let the crowd push you???

We made it out in one piece... and as soon as we were in the car, the rain stopped. Nice.

 So we got Popeyes Chicken and called it a night! What an adventure.... of sorts.

 

Emily and I ended the night on a good note.... we made dreamcatchers!
Something we've both pinned on Pinterest and have been wanting to make for yonks!

We glittered some feathers, wrapped some hoopty-hoops.

 Instead of tying the middle... we used doilies I'd collected from various estate sales/thrift stores.

And not only do they catch dreams....

they catch crazy bald men, too.

Win win.

Our 4th of July weekend

I have spent the last few, maybe 6 - not that few - months stressed out to the max over Day Camp. And I'd like to say I handled it beautifully, "stress, what stress?" but however, I did not.

Then add to it another week of Girl Scout Day Camp, which I wasn't in charge of.... but handed me a whole 'nother basket of crazy.

To say I needed to get away is an understatement. I really needed a beach vacation, preferably by myself, but if James wanted to come, I'd have been ok with that. Preferably a beach far, far away.

Of course, that's not gonna happen.... beaches just don't grow on trees.

So we went to the next best place.

Emily's house!

 

Jax helped me pack.

Which meant bringing the two most important things of the day:

Toy gun and sunscreen....

Which he then sprayed in his eyes....

Which, of course, can only be remedied by bandaids.

Naturally.

 Mother of the year award.... but when things happen, we HAVE to snap the pic, ask questions later. And this hilariously played out in a matter of 2 minutes, max. I was lucky to even get a picture! Thankfully, I dissuaded him from putting the second bandaid on.

Being the procrastinator I am... I had the kids make their 4th of July shirts a few hours before we needed to leave. I crossed fingers and toes that they'd be dry.

This is probably the 3rd year I've had them make shirts.... and YES, it would be MUCH easier to buy the $5 Target 4th shirt.... and probably cuter, too. But for some reason, the crafty beast inside me wants them to MAKE them. Forthelove.

So we do.

Crafty beasts cannot be ignored.

We got to San Antonio Thursday night in time for bed.... we stayed up for a bit, talking and cuddling Ollie. Emily has a lovely set up at her house... including a comfy queen sized bed, which makes for a very good night's sleep.

The next day we attempted to go to a parade... in my mind, a parade is where you go and sit along the street and watch it... then leave.

Well, the parade we were trying to get to was in the middle of a festival of sorts. A FIESTA, if you will. We took one look and saw dollars being spent on various activities, tears being shed because of said dollars running out. So.... we left.

And instead, went to eat at a yummy restaurant called Chachos.

Love my girls in their polka-dot-y shirts.

Ollie entertained us with smiles... such a happy fella.

James and I decided to "split" the infamous KONG nachos. This picture doesn't do it justice... but the look on Jax's face describes it perfectly. THE KONG.

Cheese... cheese... and more cheese. And some meat mixed in here and there.

After eating a disgustingly absurd amount of cheese... we went home to swim. My kids were ecstatic about this... they LOVE Emily & Jed's pool. Turns out Ollie loves it too.

We had plans that night to go to Jed's parents house, that's out in the country, and shoot some fireworks. We stopped by a stand to buy some.... holy expensive batman.

Jax got to see a monster truck.... he's so going to own one of these one day in the far distant future! Hopefully by then they'll invent some sort of monster truck elevator, so he can take his old momma for a spin.

Back to fireworks - they must make a pretty penny!

"discount"

heh.

If we ever buy our own fireworks again.... note to self: spend that pretty penny and buy MORE.
Cause it's FUN.

More, I tell ya!

We usually have some fearful, ear-covering children for the big boom-y fireworks.

But for some reason we had no tears this year.... no complaints here.

Maybe it was the massive headgear??



Bella smiled thru the whole production.... which was odd, since this is her least favorite holiday.

And we were maybe 10 feet from the action.....I know, uber safe....

but fearing for your life makes it just that much more fun! ha. Gets the heart racing a bit when you thing that power flower screamer snake is coming right for ya.

I hate this picture of me....I promise no one spiked the punch.

But holy cuteness, looked at Ollie's face. He's a keeper, that one.

Not a sleeper, tho.... Well, I take that back, I guess he sleeps... he just has a habit of getting up at certain times at night. Ah, babies.... they're crazy, I tell ya!

Emily is doing a smashing job at this whole motherhood gig. I had no doubts....

This is actually what you would call a "generational" picture...

I used to change Em's diapers and she changes Ollie's. Shirley that's what they meant, right?

 I'm so glad Emily & Jed live so close. I wish all my siblings lived this close!

But I'm thankful they opened their home to us for the weekend... it was the getaway I needed. Laughter, hugs, and baby snuggles can cure what ails ya.

Merry Christmas y'all

From the great snowy north!
We were lucky enough to be able to spend our Christmas vacation in Minnesnowta. We drove the 16 hours and got here on Saturday night. It was quite the drive, keeping kids {Jax} entertained! But it's always worth it when we are greeted with such happiness.

Our Christmas Day was great! Its so fun living vicariously thru your kids, feeling the excitement. We got the kids some rad presents, IMHO. (<---learned that acronym during a game, hah) James had a blast picking out boy toys for Jax. The boy is in heaven (and Jax too!).
And as for the girls, well, we got them a doll we never thought we would! Bah! We love America :X ....
Anyways....presents aside!!! It's so fun....all the things we GET! I will be the first to admit that I LOVE getting gifts....especially when your husband listens to you and gets you and iPad (that's being funny about connecting to the wifi, boo!!). But it's not all about that, of course....
I'm so thankful our Savior was born.
I'm so thankful we can celebrate his birth by spending time with family, by thinking about His life and making new promises to ourselves to be more like Him.
I'm so thankful that He loves us enough to let us have a new year to start afresh!

These few days between Christmas and New Years I always tend to start thinking about the cliche of resolutions. I feel like
I shouldn't just wait till January to find ways to better myself....but hey, here we are again...creeping up on January. Time to dust off the journal and get things back on track!