Balloons, balloons, balloons!

The kids and I took our first trip in two years to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. We had a GREAT time! Sadly, we were only able to see one mass ascension. We went down to the launch field on Thursday morning to watch the special shapes. It was an absolutely perfect morning, traffic wasn't too bad, the temperature was comfortable and the skies were blue, not to mention the breakfast burritos were YUMMY and the cocoa was hot! There were a bunch of new special shapes this year which is always fun to see, but they aired up and flew off SOOO fast! I was left really wanting more and feeling a bit disappointed. Just as we were getting ready to pack up, we ran into friends and started chatting and next thing we knew, they were airing up the traditional balloons for a contest. They put a several sets of car keys atop tall poles and the balloonists tried to fly in and snatch the keys. Whoever grabbed a key won the car it started! So we got an extra 2 hours to watch these beautiful balloons come in close then float away and come back in again (they call it boxing). It was an amazing sight and the kids were intrigued! We ended up taking the Friday morning to go to the zoo instead and that ended up being the last day they flew as bad weather came in over the weekend and prevented them from flying. As you can see from the photos, it was an amazing event, and we're looking forward to next year!

Good vs. Evil


Me and the kiddos on the field


When pigs fly!


Brazilian bees and friends


Two of my faves... Gargoyle and Panda

Now as much as I enjoy the special shapes, there is nothing more beautiful than a sky full of these gorgeous, multi-colored orbs! I LOVE the traditional balloons!

Some of my favorite photos from my trip!

Canada goose, profile


Brave boy hand-feeding geese!


Peacock in full display


North America's most majestic land mammal

A river runs through and really trashes stuff!

This is the Rio Ruidoso, which is normally a mild-mannered little creek that spans maybe 10-15 ft. across. Here it is, muddy, bubbling and raging!


Debris caught in the safety rails of what used to be a bridge.


Well, that used to be our bridge!

The Ugly Duckling

One of our little excursions in Clovis was to Ned Houk park to see the buffalo and feed the ducks and geese. While we were feeding the critters, we noticed this funny little black duck. He had absolutely no fear of us and my Mom-in-law said she thought we could just reach out and grab it. And sure enough, she reached out and picked up this little duck. Now it was not a baby duck, but not an adult either, it had some adult plummage, but still had a fuzzy head. And it was definitely the odd duck out! There were no other siblings and no other adult ducks that looked even remotely like it. After we took turns petting it, we let it go and I crouched down to take a picture of it. It made a mad dash and ran right up underneath me and stayed there, like it was wanting me to sit on it or something! So I sat down and it crawled right into my lap and laid its head down. I have NEVER seen a wild duck do this so I began to get suspicious. We spent the next half hour petting and loving and hugging this little duck. It was so sweet! But the time came for us to have lunch, so we started to walk to the car. Our goofy little friend began to follow us. I told everyone to get in the car and I picked the little duck up walked him away a bit and tossed him out into the pond. As I turned to go to the car I noticed that it was scrambling to get out of the water and when he did he took off chasing after me. I ran like hell to the car, jumped in and drove off. I stopped a little ways away to make sure it had stopped following and wasn't in the street. It was just standing there, looking confused. It broke my heart! I believe this little duck was probably someone's Easter duckling and when it got too big, they decided it was perfectly fine to go dump it at the pond. I HATE that tradition! Ducklings and chicks are NOT disposable pets! If you can't care for one, you should never bring one home! Anyway... off my soapbox, I spent the rest of the day and most of the night trying to figure out how the hell I could transport a duck from Clovis to Austin. And IF I managed to successfully get it here, what the hell I would do with it! I live in a suburban neighborhood, our Homeowner's Association doesn't take kindly to raising poultry! I didn't go back to get him, but I regret it to this day. All this little guy wanted was a mommy and a family to love it. I spend so much time telling my kids that it's our responsibility as good humans to take care of the little things that need our help, then I didn't follow through with it. I could kick myself! The little duck didn't seem unhealthy and hopefully he was foraging OK. I know they are resilient and have instincts, so I hope with all of my heart that this little duck grows up and has a happy life in the park. And I am touched that this little bird allowed me and my children to interact with it and have a wonderful "ducky" experience. Someday, if I ever have property, I will own ducks all because of this little guy!

The Duck...


A Piglet and a duck!


Duck kisses


Sweet ducky in my lap


One last ducky hug!

New Mexico... the good, the bad and the flooded!

Our trip to New Mexico was an interesting one. I reconnected with old friends from my childhood, I spent time with my family, I took my children to do silly things, I became a victim of a natural disaster and I took loads of photos! I took loads photos of pretty things, photos of goofy things and photos of scary things So I would say all in all, it was a memorable trip for sure! Here are some of the highlights:

Friends...
I was finally able to meet up with my good friend Cat. I have been trying to see her for over a year, but it has never worked out until this trip. It was so strange, finally meeting face to face, looking into her eyes and being zapped back to a time long gone, yet not feeling the need to stay there. It looked like the Cat from years ago, yet it wasn't the Cat I remembered. It was a Cat, 20 years later, with tattoos, piercings, teenage kids, a new marriage and baby, and an awesome outlook on life. It was refreshing! I felt an immediate connection and love and I hope we are able to continue with this newly discovered friendship. I also had the opportunity to see Amie and Christal, both of whom are friends from the high school years. As always, it was great to see them! They are both so diligent and so dedicated to their families and careers, they inspire me! It is SOOO amazing to have such a wonderful network of women in my life!

Flood...
I was to spend a wonderful weekend at our cabin in Ruidoso with my mother and my kiddos, then, after my Mom left, my Mom-in-law was to arrive and the kids and I would spend a few days with her. It was a perfect plan! The kids would get to spend quality, relaxing, stress-free time with both of the grandmothers, I would get to visit and get some help with the kids all at the same time, AND we'd get to have fun at one of our favorite places! The cabin is ALWAYS wonderful. Little did we know that Hurricane Dolly had other plans for that part of the world, dum, dum, DUM! Late Sat. night and early Sun. morning (July 26 and 27) the remnants of Hurricane Dolly dropped close to 9 inches of rain on the Sacramento Mountains and surrounding areas. This in turn caused serious flooding of the Rio Ruidoso which runs through the canyon where our cabin is located. Property was damaged, bridges were demolished and one young man lost his life. It was a sobering situation. We were trapped in the canyon with no way to get a car out or even walk out. I heard that there was an old logging trail somewhere on the mountain behind us, but I wasn't terribly motivated to leave my family and set out looking for this logging trail that may or may not have existed. Luckily, my Mom and I had gone grocery shopping on Saturday and had a decent amount of food in the cabin. Not alot, we only shopped to get us through the weekend, but with rationing, I could have made it last about 5 days if needed. Our biggest problem was diapers! I knew I was fairly low on diapers, but thought I had more than I did. We didn't buy any and ended up REALLY regretting it! I will never leave home without at least 60 diapers!

Once the water receded some, they were able to set up a makeshift "bridge" out of an extension ladder and they evacuated people with medical needs and small children that needed immediate assistance. They began transporting meals and water to the rest of us. The communication from village officials was pathetic and all information was based on someone talking to someone who spoke with this person who spoke with one of the firefighters and so on. But at least we weren't starving, we had the Piggle running around commando to save diapers and we had water. Well, that lasted until late Sunday night. The running water to the cabin was completely gone by Monday morning. We did have sense enough to fill every stock pot and cooler in the house. We were having to boil the tap water as it had been contaminated. I refused to fill the tubs though as I can't have full tubs and a 2 year-old in the house who LOVES to play in the water! I was handling the situation pretty well until the water stopped, then I got worried. I heard they were planning to put in a temporary foot bridge to allow folks the ability to hike into town on foot for supplies, or have relatives deliver supplies that they could carry over the foot bridge. I was putting plans into effect to hike the kids out of the canyon and have hubby's folks come and get them and take them back to Clovis while my Mom and I waited for them to build the bridge for the cars. There was much talk about scissor-bridges from the nearby air force base, but as luck would have it, the bridges, along with all of our National Guard were over in Iraq!

Monday afternoon, the governor of New Mexico did a fly-over and lo and behold, shit started to happen. Luckily for me, I had hiked down to the bridge to pick people's brains for info and look for water and diapers when the firefighters (who were so diligent and dedicated to helping us) called us together to give us pertinent info. The engineers that they brought in said that with enough rubble and debris they would be able to fill the ravine that once was a bridge, pack it down with LOADS of dirt and hopefully make it strong enough to allow the close to 300 people stuck in the canyon to drive out. You didn't have to tell me twice! I ran up the hill, ran into the house and starting slinging shit into suitcases and loading the car. Once finished, we loaded the kids, locked up the cabin and drove down the hill toward the bridge. I assumed my place as car #57 in a line of over 70 cars! We waited in that line for over 2 hours while they completed the makeshift bridge and FINALLY at almost 10pm, I drove over that bridge and then all the adrenaline that had kept me going and kept me focused left and I cried like an idiot and struggled to drive that winding road to Roswell. But the kids and I made it, stopped at a nasty Motel 6 and crashed hard. We got up the next morning and called my Grandmother who was gracious enough to take us out for breakfast where the kids and I all proceeded to stuff our faces like there was no tomorrow!

Fun...
Although we definitely did NOT have the vacation we planned with the flood and all, I did my best to make it a fun time for the kids. The Piggle did get to enjoy her first pony ride in Ruidoso before the storm hit. I was so mad that I had forgotten my camera, but I figured what the hell, I'd take them back the next day with the camera. The flood ruined that plan! But even amidst all of the chaos, we had a fun time hanging out on the deck of the cabin, feeding peanuts to the blue jays and chipmunks, watching the hummingbirds, cardinals, juncos and chickadees, and the Monkey Man and Mom both got to see a bear! I haven't seen a damn bear in 2 years, grrrr! We did art work on the deck, made coffee filter butterflies and watched movies. So although Mama and Grammy were stressed a bit, the kids were no worse for the wear! Once we made it back to Clovis, we stayed a few more days to visit with the folks and to let me decompress a bit before driving all the way back to Texas. I took the kids to the puny Clovis zoo a couple of times, we had playdates with friends, we went to the local ponds to feed the ducks and there was lots of fun to be had in Nana's backyard! Nana's backyard is beautiful, grassy, and full of turtles! Lots of fun for kids! So all in all, a successful trip, or as the Piggle would say, "An aventure!" I'll just hope my next trip to NM will be a little LESS of an adventure!

Back from New Mexico

We made it back just before dinner last night. The trip back was pretty good, we made good time and the Piggle did alright. We hit some gnarly rain south of Abilene which sucked due to my crappy windshield wipers! It also got very calm and quiet right after we went through a big cell of rain, then the wind started gusting really hard and there were very dark, strange clouds that seemed to be trailing downward. I was a little worried we were about to run smack into the middle of a tornado! But we finally moved far enough south and left it all behind.

The trip itself was interesting. I did get alot of visiting in with family and friends, but it was a little stressful at times as we were stranded in the upper canyon of Ruidoso for 2 days after a huge flood took out most of the canyon bridges! We had no way to get out, limited food and our water eventually stopped. It was a little nerve-racking, especially with two small children. But I had my mom and we managed. We actually had expected to be stranded for much longer, but thanks to "The Guvna" they made a change in plans. Anyway, there will be a more descriptive post to follow once I download pics and recuperate from my travels. But all in all, the trip was good and we are now home safe and sounds with lots of stories to tell! And I took a million photos!

Heading out

Thanks to an invite from the folks, I'll be packing up the Piglet and the Monkey Man and heading over to New Mexico this week. We'll stop in Clovis for a couple of days, then head to the cabin in Ruidoso for the rest of the week! I am SOOO excited! Granted, I'm not looking forward to the gas prices or the 9 hour trip in the car with a crabby toddler, but I am looking forward to time at the cabin. We haven't been since last year and although I'm sad that Big Daddy has to stay home to work and take care of the garden, I think the kids and I will still have a good time. The cabin is always a good time! You just can't beat the fresh air, the mild temperatures and all the critters that visit. We usually see chipmunks, hummingbirds, blue jays, woodpeckers, squirrels, deer, elk and the bears have been out in force this year! The kids are excited as they will get to see all three grandparents and their great-grandmother as well. So it is very likely you won't hear from me for about a week and a half. But I will come home with great pics and hopefully good stories!

San Gervasio Ruins

One big iguana!


One of the ruins, wish I could tell you which one.


We were impressed to see that the ancient Mayans invented screen doors! ;-)


Another one of the ruins, so cool!


Here was a piece of wood that looked like an iguana to me, thought it was a cool pic!

Big Daddy and me enjoying ice cold coconuts on a beautiful beach!



Mommy and baby!


Little striped fishies! These guys would greet us anytime we entered the water. It was like they were checking us out too! However, if you stopped moving they would come up and nip at you!


Some sort of fish

Cozumel pics continued

Yikes! Cocodrilos!


Stingray off Chankanaab.


Celarain Lighthouse, southern tip of the island


Me on an extremely jagged and rocky beach.


Turtle tracks... cool!

Look kids... Big Ben, Parliament...

Ok, really it's some pics from Cozumel! I'm about 3 weeks overdue on posting, but what can I say? Life has a tendency to snap you right square in the eyes with reality when you come home from holiday! It was a wonderful 6 days and 5 nights. It was incredible spending time with Big Daddy and being able to discuss whatever, whenever and not worry about little ears. It was nice to stay up late, the surroundings were, of course, incredible, the resort was awesome, they catered to our every need and it was just wonderful! We did some snorkeling, it was alright, we did see a stingray and that was definitely the snorkeling highlight. I have to admit, the reef is not what I expected. Cozumel is supposed to be one of the top diving destinations and who knows, maybe if you go out farther and actually dive, the reef may be healthier farther from land. There were beautiful fish and the waters were clear and pristine, but most of the snorkeling right off shore was kind of sparse. We're not dive certified though, so there you have it!

We did rent a Jeep one of the days and drove all over the island. We went to the southern tip to see the lighthouse and the turtle nesting areas. We didn't see turtles, but we did see turtle tracks which was cool! There is an lagoon close to the southern tip that has wild crocodiles or "cocodrilos" to the natives. They had a 3 story lookout to check them out and it was neat. We participated in a dolphin excursion in which we were allowed in the water with dolphins. We got to pet and hug and love on them and they did some of their tricks with us, like pushing us up out of the water by putting their noses on our feet! What a rush! Talk about a powerful animal! They were beautiful! One of the dolphins had an 8 day-old baby that was too cute, needless to say we didn't get to swim with them!

We checked out the San Gervasio Ruins. They were awesome to see, but they didn't have any tour guides that afternoon, so we had to walk around on our own and for some reason in Cozumel, they don't really label things in any detail. Here in the US, you get these huge Historical Landmark signs with more info than you ever really wanted to know about something, but not in Mexico. The ruins were cool nonetheless, and the whole area was crawling with iguanas! I almost stepped on one and it scared the crap out of me!

And I know this sounds ridiculous, but one of my favorite destinations was the supermarket across from our resort! It was crazy to see that in Mexico they have Campbell's soup and Speed Stick Deodorant, yet the produce department has vastly different offerings and the bakery and deli sections were amazing! The pastries, cookies and cakes were amazing and at the deli counter they had all these crazy things like crystallized fruits (limes, oranges and such), strange cheeses and meat offerings that I was scared of! And contrary to popular belief... there is nothing cheap in Mexico! Yes they will barter, but not much. I was hoping to bring home some great beaded jewelry, a bunch of t-shirts for family and friends and some Mexican blankets. We managed to get t-shirts for the immediate family, a toy for the Monkey Man and 3 blankets, but that was all we could afford. I guess inflation is everywhere!

The trip was most amazing though in the aspect that I had the opportunity to re-connect with the love of my life. No kids interrupting conversations or anything else for that matter, and the time to just sit and be with one another as adults, as a couple. This was so needed and we swear that every other year, we will take the grown-up vacation, so we can take time to re-discover ourselves. Anyway, on to the photos!

Here's a view from our room, nice right?


Here's Big Daddy hangin' in the hammock enjoying the view.


Here I am waiting on a batch of quesadillas, enjoying the best bowl of pico de gallo I've had in years!


Dolphin kisses, I think I'm in love!


Sunset from our balcony.

We're BAAAAACK!

Hola Everyone! We are safely back in the US of A from our wonderful little excursion to Cozumel. I wish I could say I was glad to be home, but it's hot as shit here, my toddler is crabbier than ever and there is no view of the ocean from my balcony. Hell, I don't even have a balcony! For six days I had someone to cater to my every need. May I have a pina colada? Si! May I have fresh towels for the pool? Si! May I have 3 helpings of dessert AND a Mexican coffee? Si! I think about the only time I was told "no" was when I lost my camera bag and I asked if anyone had turned it in.

I am trying to figure if the vacation was so wonderful because of the beautiful scenery, the snorkeling, the swimming, and the wonderful meals and service, or was it just the fact that I had almost an entire week where I didn't have to cook, do dishes, clean bathrooms or change diapers! I thought I would have some trouble adjusting without the kids and the stress that I'm used to, but as soon as the plane lifted off from Houston and we were flying over the Gulf of Mexico, I left it all behind. I was confident that the kids were in good hands with the grandfolks, so what was there for me to worry about? I dove into this with reckless abandon, fully intending to enjoy every minute!

We ended up not doing quite all the things I had wanted to do, but I don't regret it. We wanted to make it to the mainland to see Tulum, and although the excursion would have been free, it was just a LONG day, on the ferry by 7am, back after 6pm. So I decided that I really wanted to try to actually RELAX some this vacation and opted out of such a long day. We did rent a Jeep and explore the east side of the island and the San Gervasio ruins. Other than that though, it was alot of snorkeling, laying by the pool, drinking pina coladas, eating good food and shopping for goodies for the kids. It will take me awhile to get my photos in order, but I will regale you with tales throughout the week!

Adios Amigos!

We are off to Mexico tomorrow, so I will not be posting for an entire week! But when I get back I will regale you with tales and photos! In the mean time, just picture me with my toes in the sand, a fruity drink in my hand and a big smile on my face!

Only Four More Weeks!!

Yea! Four weeks until we head off to Cozumel! I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait!!! We went out this past weekend and bought another bikini (figured I will need at least 2 suits while we're there) and it's really cute! Big Daddy has new sandals and shorts and we are just counting the days! We need to sit down and start planning things out a little bit. As much as I want this to be a totally relaxing and enjoyable vacation, there are several things that I want to do while down there. I want to see the San Gervasio Ruins, which are on Cozumel, I also want to see Tulum, which is on the mainland. I will have to figure out how long the ferry ride is and ask my doctor what the best sea-sick meds are. If the ferry ride is only 20 minutes, I can probably withstand the motion sickness, but if it's like an hour or something, that may put a kink in things. I HATE boats! Of course snorkeling is a must and we plan on actually going out to party at night. We haven't had a taste of the nightlife in years! I want to rent a scooter and go to the East side of the island where the sandy beaches are and very few people! And of course the Dolphin Experience, this comes with the "all-inclusive" portion of our stay and an hour in the water with these wonderful creatures is going to be amazing! This is going to be such a WONDERFUL vacation and I cannot thank my in-laws enough for making it possible! Without them offering to stay with the kids, this would have never been possible! I am eternally grateful!

How to spend your stimulus checks...

Many of you will be getting your "stimulus" check in the mail soon. What a lovely thing, free money from the government! But how do I spend this lovely free money in a way that would truly stimulate the American economy? Let's see, go on a major shopping spree and buy the family new clothes and such at Wal-Mart or Target? Nope, that would only stimulate the Chinese economy. How about buying a new computer?!? Nope, that would stimulate India's economy, but not ours. How about filling up our cars with gas? Nope, that would go straight to the Middle East. Maybe a down payment for a new car? Nope that would only stimulate the Japanese economy. Oh, oh... what about groceries? Stocking my pantry surely has to boost the economy right? Nope, but it would do good for Central America (or maybe France if you bought cheese and champagne). How about just buying a bunch of silly little trivial things, party supplies or maybe silk flowers or cheesy little MP3 players for the kids? Oh wait, that's Taiwan.

Well shit, how do I spend this check in order to truly boost our American economy?

After some hard research and some suggestions by pretty savvy women, I say... go hit the yard sales! At least that way, every cent you spend is going directly into the pocket of your fellow Americans. Now there's something you can bank on. (And it would make my grandmothers proud!)

My mistake...

I was so excited to go camping up at Dino Valley and I was thrilled to see the dino sculptures that I thought were present in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. They are the same type of dinos, but after some more detailed searching I have determined that the dinos in Pee-Wee's movie are not the ones at Dino Valley! They are actually known as the Cabezon Dinosaurs and they reside in Cabezon, CA next to the Big Wheel Inn. They were built by a gentleman who made sculptures for Knott's Berry Farm back in the 60's. So, DAMN IT! I am now going to have to take a trip at some point in my life to see those stupid dinosaurs! When I saw all the Dino Valley stuff and saw a T-Rex with an Apatosaurus, I just figured those HAD to be the ones, that and the fact that Pee-Wee was making his way to the basement at the Alamo, so giant, lifesize statues of dinos in Texas made sense. But alas... I was wrong! At least in Cabezon, I can crawl up into the Apatosaurus belly and buy souvenirs! There's something to be said for that.

Counting the days!

My brother-in-law is to be married in June. Of course my parents-in-law will be here to attend the wedding. Out of the kindness of their hearts, they have offered to stay the week after the wedding to babysit the kiddos so Big Daddy and I can take a trip. We spent WEEKS combing the internet for a good deal. Hawaii... too expensive, Florida... too spring break, Caribbean... a little out of budget, Central America... do-able. Alright so where to go? We looked at Cabo and Puerta Vallarta, Mazatlan, Playa Del Carmen, thought about Belize or Costa Rica (unfortunately both were a little pricey), so where did we finally decide? Cozumel, Mexico. Cozumel is a little island off of the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, not far from Cancun or Tulum. We found a swanky all-inclusive little number that provides 4 restaurants, grills and buffets, all the liquor (top shelf included) and many excursions. We will get an hour with the dolphins at the dolphinarium next door and the hotel has a little pier where you can jump right into the water to snorkel. You can rent a convertible VW Beetle for $25 a day, or $15 for a scooter if you're brave enough! The hotel is within walking distance to the main downtown area and you can take a free ferry over to the mainland. I will have to figure out how to deal with the boat ride, me and boats don't jive (can you say GREEN!), but if I could hang we would be able to hit the mainland and take that tour of Chichen Itza that we didn't take and regretted the last time we were in the Yucatan. We will have a gorgeous ocean-view room complete with a hammock on the balcony and a two-person jetted tub that is situated so we can enjoy the view while hot-tubbing! Fun!

I am SOOOO looking forward to this! I have not had an honest to goodness VACATION for at least 6 years. In fact, I think the last true destination vacation was in 1996, Big Daddy and I hit Waikiki Beach on Oahu for a week after I graduated from college. So 12 years since our last vacation? That is just too damn long! I guess we'll be spending our government "stimulus check" in Mexico, ARRIBA! I just know that I'm achin' to have my toes in the sand and drink in my hand! Now for the hard part, waiting another 2 1/2 months before I can go!

A couple of random pics from NM

Why a picture of my feet? Because I can.


A red bush with snow.


Making snow angels.


Finished product.


Baby slippers.

I have returned!

As I am sure many of you can relate, it is always fun to get out of town and go visiting, but it is also SO nice to come home again. I think that is what vacations are all about. Get you away from your real life long enough to make you miss it! The week in Clovis was completely uneventful, and that was fine by me! My son spent time with his grandparents at their little framing shop, coloring, making bead necklaces and generally sweet-talking anyone and everyone who came in. I think he was a big hit! And the Piggle spent the week re-wrapping her grandfather around her little pinky finger. It is amazing to see the power of a 20-month old! We got to have dinner at our favorite little Japanese steak house. The kids LOVE watching the chef sling knives around and make volcanoes out of onions!

We were stunned when mid-week a snowstorm blew through! We were ill-prepared in the clothing department, but I went through the suitcase and my MIL went through the closets and we managed to bundle the kids up for at least a little bit of fun in the snow. My son has experienced snow 3 times prior, but the Piggle had never laid eyes on it (not something common in Central TX!) The Monkey Man had a blast making snow angels and throwing piddly snowballs, the Piggle is her mother's daughter for sure and the first instance that she lost her balance and sat in the snow, getting her hands wet, it was ALL OVER! That girl will be like me, I enjoy the snow, so long as I can sit inside by a fireplace with a cup of hot tea (English style) and a good book. Snow is GREAT as long as I can watch it from indoors! OK, I can swing an occasional snowman with the boy, if I have good gloves, but that is the extent of my snow play!

I managed to get to Roswell to visit my 91-year old grandmother. She recently bought herself a Wii and she and the boy "bowled" for hours! It was so cool watching the first generation (so to speak) play with the 4th generation! And it is so cool to know that he will look back at his time with her with great fondness. I only remember one of my great-grandparents and she was a grumpy old lady that wouldn't let me sit on her furniture because I was a dirty kid. No fun there!

Some other highlights included getting to visit with my hubby's aunt and uncle from Amarillo. They were also immediately wrapped around the Piggle's little finger, go figure! We did a little shopping and the Monkey Man came home with some bitchin' t-shirts. The Piggle got her first haircut, which is funny because she really didn't have that much hair, but what she did have was super whispy and getting into her eyes alot. So she now has blunt cut bangs and short in the back, very Buster Brown! She also received her first little pair of ballet slippers. Not saying that I necessarily think she will be a dancer, she might or might not, but my MIL knows a little girl that just loves to wear them. And my little girl loves to wear them too. In fact, she just found them and asked me to put them on her! Too cute!

I will post some photos of the trip in the next post. Glad to be back!