Look Who's Here!

About 10 months ago (yes, it's really not 9 months, more like 10), we found out that three of our friends were expecting precious little babies. All due just days away from each other in June. Finally, all three have arrived!!!

First to arrive was precious Clark, he was a month early:

Then came sweet Molly:

And just about a week ago, arrived adorable little Grayson:

Welcome to the world you precious three! Hope your parents are getting enough sleep :)

Words

So....the other day I took Davis for a follow-up with his ENT (he had tubes put in last September). The tubes are still there and doing their job! I learned two things at this appointment:

1) Davis should still be wearing ear plugs. Oops. We kinda stopped this in the Spring. Davis kept pulling them out. As a solution to this problem, I searched online and found the handy dandy Ear Band - it!

2) Davis knows over 50 words! The Dr asked me how many words Davis knows. And do you know what my answer was? This is going to make me sound like a horrible mom! I don't count how many words my kid knows, and I'm definitely not one to brag, so I just said around 15. Wrong answer! The Dr looked super concerned and said he should know around 30-40 words. So what did I do, I immediately went home and made a list.

For memory sake, here is the list I've come up with...and keep adding to:

hi, bye, please, thank you, stuck, choo choo, mama, dada, annie, duke, nana, pop, airplane, milk, snack, sky, balloon, outside, right there, shoes, kick, ball, mick, roar, dog, turtle, book, truck, hot, cold, yay, wahoo, blue, out, up, banana, cookie, bird, meow, bike, go, bowl, more, i did it, no, yes, yeah, yep, blocks, two, squirrel, car, hat, rock, snake, back, i missed, eye, ear, hair, nose, poop, pee, bus, snow

Colorado Cool-down

The day after Molly was born (good timing baby girl), we left for a family vacation to Crested Butte, Colorado. It was such a nice change of pace and of course, change of weather. It was a bit chillier than we excepted, with highs in the 60s! But that made the fireplace and hot tub all that more enjoyable. Packing was tricky for this trip. I came home and unpacked about 4 pairs of shorts I didn't touch. I obviously wasn't prepared. It was especially tricky with a growing toddler that doesn't fit in his winter clothes anymore.

Davis did really well on our two flights to Crested Butte. I had planned activity after activity, but he flew through those in about 10 minutes. He was more interested in the window and armrest, up down, up down, up down! I can see why at 2 they have to get their own seat. Thank goodness Forrest was flying with us. Davis was all over the place! It doesn't bother me now (how my views have changed since having kids of my own and being more understanding), but when I was younger I hated when the person (usually a kid) behind me would kick my seat. To avoid Davis being the annoying seat kicker, I told him that the person in front of us was sleeping and he couldn't touch his seat. Every once in a while (in between opening and closing the window) Davis would point at the seat in front of us, put his finger to his lips, and say "shhhh." It was adorable and it worked!

We have arrived in Crested Butte!

Took a walk to find snow!

The first day there we decided to rent bikes. Davis was super excited. For some reason, he loves to wear a helmet. While we were getting fitted he was running around with his helmet saying, "bike" over and over. He wasn't too disappointed when we told him he would be riding in the bike trailer behind daddy's bike. I think all the excitement before the actual ride wore him out, he quickly fell asleep! We didn't make it too far before it started to rain...and then hail! Luckily Davis was completely bundled and covered, but we were soaked!

We stayed at a friend's home. It had beautiful views, a hot tub, and most importantly to Davis, a foosball table! I think we might have to get one now! Every second spent in that house was at this table.

Our second full day in Colorado was our hiking day. Since it was still pretty cold, many of the trails were blocked due to snow! Luckily, we still found some open trails and enjoyed a short hike. Davis wasn't a huge fan of his hiking backpack. He much preferred walking and throwing rocks.

Yes, Ann Marie and I are dressed like twins. Not on purpose of course, but like I said, packing was tricky and I really didn't have enough clothes for the cold weather. Neither did she!

Our last day in Colorado was Father's Day! We sent Forrest and my dad on a fly fishing trip with a guide! Then we spent the afternoon with Davis at the park. With the Texas heat, we haven't made it to many parks this summer, so Davis was ecstatic! The park was HUGE and amazing, we had so much fun with all the different slides and tunnels. But in the end, Davis was only interested in the basketball...

I absolutely love Colorado. It's just one of those places you go and instantly feel refreshed. The air is cool and crisp and every view is breathtaking! I'm not sure if I could survive the winters, so I guess it will just become a vacation spot (hopefully a recurring one).

Feeding Duke

Molly's Birthday

Remember when I was this excited? And remember when we celebrated this sweet precious little girl? Well, she has finally arrived!!!

Born 6/15 @ 4:33pm weighing in at 7lbs 4 oz, 19 3/4 inches long

Rockport Music Festival

Last weekend, Forrest and I went to Rockport (sans baby) to meet Renee and Robert (my cousin and her fiance) for a fish-sun-music filled weekend! We enjoyed nights on the porch, mornings fishing, and Texas music at night. Apparently I didn't get my fix out west :)

We actually didn't end up seeing all the artists. It started around 1pm and we decided it was way too hot to be in the sun without a pool. So we didn't show up till about 6pm and caught the last two shows...Jerry Jeff and Guy Clark. Overall, it was a fun concert. We thought the beer and food were a bit on the expensive side, but I guess that is to be expected.

Robert, Renee, Me, Forrest

Jerry Jeff Walker

As you probably gathered, no pictures of us fishing because we didn't catch any fish!

Suggestions Needed

If your kid loves playing games on the ipad, please let me know what your favorites are!

Appreciate your input! Thanks!

What's Davis up to?

Davis will be turning 2 at the end of July! I feel like every minute he's learning something or saying something new.

In the mornings, I let him watch a little bit of Mickey Mouse, he calls him "Mick." Breakfast has always been blueberries, strawberries, and a waffle. It's his favorite meal of the day because it's always gone and he usually asks for more.

He is obsessed with choo choo trains. He will take his toy trains, lay on his belly, and push them through different tunnels throughout the house (i.e. under coffee tables, around the bed posts, under the couch). Davis is also a huge fan of playing outside. If he wants to go outside, he will go grab a pair of shoes (always brings me a matching pair), and out we go! He still loves his roller coaster...as you can tell...

Duke thinks he's being chased!

My favorite, the wave!

A memory I don't want to forget, is something Davis does at bedtime. I usually hold him for a while after we've read a couple books and I hum. Don't worry, I don't sing. And really, I choose easy songs to hum because I am not vocally talented. Anyways, if I don't start humming fast enough according to Davis, he will start to hum, as if to remind me to start. Melts my heart.

Fest Out West Part 5: So long to the west

I didn't realize how long I was gone until I starting writing the 5th Fest Out West blog post. I'm sure you're all ready for me to get back to writing about Davis!

Our long journey home was pretty similar to the one taking us to Lajitas. Bus, train, and car. This time we were all a little bit sleepier. And this time we were more prepared for the cu cu's on the choo choo. Immediately when we sat down and the train started moving, a lovely (bit-outspoken) lady from our car stood up to announce that certain bodily functions needed to happen downstairs. I'm not going to quote her exactly. Off to a great start. Maybe next time we will book the sleeper cars. Our train ride home we spent sleeping, playing cards, enjoying the views outside the window, and scarfing down some delicious steak!

I'm not sure how to put this in words...but if you ever get the chance to go to Fest Out West(hopefully this becomes an annual trip) or MusicFest in Steamboat (if snow is more your style), GO! You can go to concert after concert, but you'll never see Texas music quite like this.

Now I'll leave you with a few pics from the beautiful Lajitas resort and a couple from our train stop in Alpine, where we trekked it a couple blocks in the scorching heat for a limeade and a chicken sandwich from Sonic.

Fest Out West Part 4: I'm your huckleberry

I felt like any minute John Wayne was going to come riding up over the dusty hillside on his horse Banner. Or when I set down to play poker, there would be Doc Holliday flipping a coin in his right hand.

Our fourth day out west was tourney day. We had washers, poker, and shootouts going on! I didn't exactly get up from my pool lounger to take part in any of these activities, but I heard they were all a blast! My dad actually did the shoot 'em up tournament, he claims he won, but that night someone else walked away with the trophy :)

After another afternoon by the pool, my sister and I decided to take a break and do some shopping. Realistically, to hit the three stores in town we only needed about 20 minutes. We went to the general store, the golf pro store, and the hotel store. All three had most of the same merchandise. So after riding our golf cart to all three, we ended up in the golf pro shop where I found Forrest a nice golf shirt. I was tempted to get him a fishing shirt, but he has SO many of these already. When I say "SO" many, I mean about 20 (no lie, I just went to his closet and counted). I also brought Davis home a little Lajitas t-shirt. Since we wrapped up the shopping fairly quickly, we decided to keep exploring with our golf cart. We headed over to the RV park, checked out the Lajitas cemetery, and even drove a bit of the golf course. We heard a mountain lion was spotted on the 15th hole the night before, but all we saw were some roadrunners, lizards, cows, and jack rabbits.

The music from the 4th night was jam-packed. We went from concert to concert and got to hear so many different people perform. This is why I have a hard time deciding if day 3 or 4 was my favorite. It started at the Thirsty Goat Saloon and Beer Garden (anyone heard of the beer drinking goat?) with a local favorite, Trevor Hinkle. Then we took our camping chairs and made our way down the hill to the Lajitas Amphitheater to hear Pinche Gringos, The Trishas, Wade Bowen, and Randy Rogers.

But first, and most importantly, the trophies were handed out to tourney winners!

The Trishas with Keith Gattis!

Every event John and Robin host, the last night is always the best.

All the artists get up on stage together for one last final song.

Did you think this was the last Fest Out West post? Well, I have one more coming :) Because it was a cu cu choo choo ride home too!

Fest Out West Part 3: Big Hats, ATVs, and Locals

Day three of our adventure out west might have been my favorite day. It's a close tie with day four (post to come tomorrow). This day was jam packed with poolside partying, an ATV adventure, views of Mexico, a trip into a ghost town, and of course....more Texas music!

Initially, we had not signed up to do any other activities besides the stargazing hayride. But, when my mom heard from some friends that the ATV rides were a must, she jumped up from her poolside lounger and ran to sign us all up. What? My mom on an ATV! The thought never crossed my mind. Let me add, that me on an ATV is also a thought that never crossed my mind. If you don't know me that well, I'm not too adventurous when it comes to heights and speed, and especially not when those two things are combined.

We were lucky to grab an 8am slot (I'm sure most people assumed they would be hungover, but not us, we were partying with our parents) so it was still nice and cool out. It probably would have been a good idea to wear pants and long sleeves, but we didn't exactly plan on this activity, so running clothes would have to suffice. And they did, we were just covered in dust when it was all over. You could have written a message on my leg (i.e. "wash me"). For most of you reading this, you've probably done the ATV thing, so I won't go into too much detail. You get the idea from the pictures...

Ann Marie on left & I'm on the right

That's my mom, in the back, waving!

View of the Rio and a town in Mexico.

After our bright and early morning adventure, we cleaned up and headed to the pool again. This time, it wasn't as crowded so early. I think most people were sleeping in (i.e. recovering from the night before). We enjoyed another afternoon lounging, reading, sleeping, eating, drinking, and listening to music by the pool.

A sun hat is a MUST in this climate...who's hat is the biggest? I think my dad wins!

Viva Terlingua! Terlingua is the neighboring town (population is around 200) to Lajitas and is where we went for dinner and music that night. Terlingua used to be a mining town in the 1880s, but due to the remoteness and hostile Indians, the mines shut down and people left town, and that is why it is literally a ghost town (not just the set of an old western film).

We stepped off the bus to find ourselves in front of the Starlight Theatre, a trading post, and a bunch of locals (some had all their teeth). It's a truly unique spot in all of Texas. We were greeted by friendly people, delicious food, and shiner beer.

The jail was just around the corner from the bathrooms! So convenient.

Front row seats for the show!

The hosts...John & Robin

Bring on the music! Texas music is something you just have to experience for yourself (and I'm sure most of you have). So you already know that it's like listening to a story. Some of the best storytellers performed for us that night. My favorite shows are acoustic and simple. I also love when the artists play off one another and jam together. It was an intimate setting and one of my favorite nights!

Corb Lund, Cody Braun, and Hayes Carll

Keith Gattis, Willy Braun, Butch Hancock, and John Evans

Fest Out West Part 2: Sunsets and Comanche Indians

Day 2 was super relaxing...seeing as we decided to spend the majority of the day by the pool. And I do mean the entire day, we arrived around 10am and didn't leave till around 5pm. That was apparently everyones idea too because it soon became a big pool party! John provided the beer, margaritas, and music while we made ourselves some new friends!

Once we woke up from our pool coma (don't worry, large sun hats and sunscreen were applied), we got ready for an evening of music and stargazing. My mom signed us up for a hayride outside of town to do some stargazing...little did we know, the clouds were rolling in.

But before the hayride, we were able to catch a show, one of my favorites! This is Liz Foster from The Trishas with Matt Skinner. To give you a little sample I've attached two YouTube videos, one I uploaded myself. Did I mention she can play like 10 different instruments, some two at a time!

Hayride time!

About 10 of us headed to the stables after a little dinner and some music. They did have horses, but instead of being pulled by them, this was our ride...good thing because there wasn't much of a path and we needed a good off-roading vehicle!

Along the hayride, we stopped to take a look at an old cave, made by the Comanche Indians who used to live in this area.

Here come the clouds!

Beautiful sunset at the top of the mountain.

We enjoyed the sunset, along with our wine and cheese!

After the cloud-gazing (I mean stargazing) hayride, we headed back to the resort for the Reckless Kelly concert (sadly we missed Cody Canada and the Departed).

Uncle John

Willy Braun from Reckless Kelly