San Antonio!

The family with Shamu (sorta)

A lot happened to our little family this week... After dropping off Uncle Chad Tuesday, Daddy drove to Fort Worth to pick up our new minivan! That's right folks, we are the proud owners of a Honda Odyssey. After much debate, research, feeling the need for something bigger, recent knowledge that our Edge had been wrecked twice (even though we did a Carfax report), and finally Mommy accepting she could/ would drive a minivan - we made our purchase. Mommy wouldn't settle so we got exactly what she wanted - color, interior, and it's NEW (*Never have I owned a new car!)

Our first (mini) vacation since being in the USA was a huge success (well, for the most part). The drive was Great in our new car. Mommy and Daddy were easily in and out of the back for my entertainment and we were able to take more than we needed, including a cooler of goodies :) I took a bit getting used to the hotel, not really sleeping at all the first night. This made for a tired girl at Sea World but we trekked through and by the second night I could barely keep my eyes open.

Sea World was great. It is a little bit over-done if you are not big enough to ride all the water slides (or they are not open). We wish there was a bit more animal interaction (other than the dolphins and aquarium you had to be at a show to see them), but there was no lacking in something to see and between the excitement and heat we had an exhausting day. I passed out for about an hour while there (after Shamu and the dolphins- my favorite parts) and then woke up in time for Mommy and Daddy to take me to a special part of the park they saved for the very end...

A little kids water park!
It wasn't suppose to be open till the weekend so I wasn't prepared,
but who says you need a bathing suit?!?!

That night we tried to entertain ourselves at the Rainforest Cafe. Unfortunately, I was so tired I was afraid to stop moving - not to mention ALL there was to see in that place. No one really ate that great and we were off to get a good night rest.

On the boat.
Did I want to get in??
If only Mommy would've loosened her grip...

Day 2 brought downtown and the River Walk. After finding parking we spotted the local USO. For those not familiar, it is a place for military to call home when away and they have just about everything you can imagine. We had never been in one and decided to check out what was on offer and some good advice for the River tour. It was a great stop picking up an umbrella stroller for the day and some bottled water to keep us hydrated. (We took our "Cadillac" stroller and it was a bit large for the river area). They also offer computers, separate rooms for t.v., video games, a full kitchen complete with food/drinks, a kids play room and much more! Quite the organization and happy it is available for those travelling, often so far from family!

River was lined with beautiful trees and
restaurants with brightly colored umbrellas on the tables outside.

We ended up taking a River Boat Cruise and learning a bit of local history. Then we walked, stopped for lunch along the river, and did a little shopping as they had a local art/craft show for the Memorial Day Weekend. It was a great day and way to wear me out for the drive home.

There is an outside theater on the river.
Seating on one side (above)
Stage on other (below) Also apparently in the film "Miss Congeniality with Sandra Bullock"

The weekend kept us entertained with water. Yep, that is my love! It is safely in the 90's here and gets a bit humid so I much rather hang out in the cool stuff. I also am teething - those darn canine teeth are making there way in (and this took Mommy WAY too long to figure out). They kept accusing me of too many tantrums and "here's the terrible twos" the last couple of days. However, once Mommy saw that first tooth making an appearance, she gave me a little Motrin and life was good :) I'm still acting out my independence, but apparently a bit more manageable.

On the boat with Daddy and my cool hat :)

Daddy goes in for a back procedure tomorrow for some steroid injections to assist in pain management while he deploys. Hopefully it works! I think he will have to do lots more to really get on top of his back problems once he returns home this fall, but we'll have to 'wait and see'. This is also his last week of leave before he gets ready to head out. We sure are not looking forward to all that time without him, but duty calls...

We hope you are all well and look forward to visits if interested. We have the perfect vehicle to accompany all visitors now too :) Mommy and I will be making a trip back to SD in August for a visit so we are definitely excited to see everyone then.

Until then, all our love! xoxo

Videos:
Feeding the dolphins! I got to do this twice!!!!

A cute video of me and a toy I have with animal sounds. Mommy and Daddy added for the sole purpose that it made them laugh.

Little Sea World clip. Bye-Bye Shamu!!

Uncle Cheese!

Bubbles!

Okay, so we've had the camera out a lot....

I have had so much fun with Chad visiting me this week. He is really spoiling me, not just buying me stuff but playing with me so much! He is a little bit crazy though cause he thinks this Texas heat is a little too much to handle. He has even been wearing shorts...he never wears shorts! He had them on the minute he arrived (well, after the airline finally got him his luggage) and hasn't went back to pants once. Unfortunately, he has to leave tomorrow. What will I do for fun then?

High five to the cool bear outside Famous Dave's.

I have had a little bit of a rough week as far as "boo-boo's" are concerned anyway. Friday night after we got home, I was in the garage when I decided something looked exciting by Mommy's tire and burned my finger on the brake rotor. Man, was it hot! I got a blister from it that has been quite the owie, especially after it popped. Daddy has been helping me keep it bandaged and I like to remind everyone of it (especially when they are trying to make me do something I don't want to do). I also have been falling down... A Lot! I am really getting excited, running a lot, and lately it has resulted in me tripping over everything! I have a double owie on my knees that I am repeatedly opening up each time I fall.

We got to go to the zoo together and I had a lot of fun showing Uncle Chad all the animals.The Giraffe was trying to lick me!

(I got to feed him a special zoo cracker)

Lions!

If you look closely, you'll see the monkey staring at me through the glass.

I got some cool new animals at the zoo. I was having so much fun playing with them on the way home.

Mommy and Daddy are both off work all week long. I am so excited to spend some extra time with them. We are headed to Sea World San Antonio on Wednesday for a quick family vacation. We hear San Antonio is a lot of fun and Mommy really thinks I'll love watching all the fish, dolphins, sharks, and whales. I can't wait! Daddy says he got a hotel with a pool too and that we get to do a lot of swimming while we are away. Man, it just keeps getting better!

Speaking of swimming... Uncle Cheese bought me a pool!

I was super-insistent that I wear my coat and shoes (mind you, on the wrong feet) outside... even though Daddy said it was 88 degrees!

What an amazing week with Uncle Chad!!! Until next week.... xoxo

Airplane?

We have been having a LOT of crazy big thunderstorms lately! A lot and big are probably understatements at this point. I guess maybe Mommy needs to travel with her camera in order for you to fully understand the types of storms Texas can have. Here is how it has been...

---Typically we receive an early morning wake-up call (somewhere between 3:30 and 5:00) of a massive thunderstorm. They are complete with thunder, lightning, wind, and rain - oh boy, the rain. Occasionally the rain persists through the morning or off and on through the day.

---I love hearing the thunder but am thoroughly confused by it, often declaring, "Airplane!" for Mommy to say, 'No, thunder'. Oh. "Thunder?" 'Yes, thunder' "Thunder, thunder, thunder" BOOM "Airplane!" And so the cycle starts again...

---The city here has NO drainage. Yes, apparently we are in some sort of a valley, although there are no hills in view. The water come so fast, and sits, and pools, and becomes crazy deep swimming pools all over town. Mommy says it scares her a bit to drive. Some cars get stalled out and people just don't know what else to do, there is no where to go. I excitedly report each time we drive through a puddle, "Water!" (Just in case Mommy wasn't sure what that splash was). En route to daycare the other morning, a few blocks before Ms. Amber's, there was so much water in the streets it was up people's driveways and running into their garages! Yes, Mommy and Daddy are happy they paid attention to flood zones when buying our house last fall. We now try to find new routes places or wait it out before proceeding places.

---The storms also seem to be followed by a morning, day, or even couple days of sunshine and then the humidity hits. Whew, 80 with wet is a whole new story. We aren't complaining or miserable (yet), but this weather is unpredictable and goes from extreme to extreme pretty easily. Ever morning is the debate... short or pants. I often end up in capri's so Mommy feels I'm good either way :)

"What do you mean, wrong feet?"

Well, other than all the rain, we are getting ready for vacation. Uncle Chad comes on Thursday and Mommy and Daddy are off all next week. We are excited to show Chad where we live and what we do here. Mommy and Daddy are thinking of taking me to San Antonio next week too so we can go to Sea World. I'm really excited about all the things Mommy says I will see there! Also, Grandma Regina is coming to visit the first week of June! It will be her first time here as well so we'll have lots to share over the next few weeks! We are going to be very busy until Daddy has to leave and just know it is going to approach us way too fast. A whole new adventure awaits us with this deployment...

Hope you are all well. Sending all our love. x

18 Months!

What?!?

It's my birthday!! I am a whole year and half and my Mommy and Daddy say they can hardly believe it. I am getting so big and learning so much every day. I'm talking up a storm with big sentences and new words. I am also very helpful. I unload the silverware from the dishwasher, help pick-up toys (sometimes), play ball and tug-o-war with Daisy, distribute everyone their cups at daycare (they are color-coordinated and I know everyone's color... when I need a drink, they surely need one too so I take it to them...keeping the kids hydrated one cup at a time ;), help Mommy wash and fold clothes (kinda), water the flowers, and get the mail every day.
I am also learning to count and practice a lot. Every time Mommy wants me to stop doing something she starts... "1" and I finish "2..."
** Mommy note: At first it was really hard not to laugh, but she now knows if she doesn't stop by 3, Mommy moves her to a new location (for example, to get her out of the fridge so we can close the door as she likes to sit in it) Not exactly how I imagined teaching my kid to count but eh, us moms, we do what we can!

Tubby's are my FAVE!
Morning routine. I sit and brush my teeth while Mommy does my hair.
Just can't help but talk to my beautiful self in that mirror!

Happy Mother's Day yesterday to all those special Mommies we know! I was a little crabby but Mommy loved me anyway. We didn't do much, but had a nice day at home. Saturday we met some new friends. Aiden is 19 months old and we spent the afternoon following each other around and showing each other how neither of us know how to share just yet. He is all boy, but we had fun on the slide, coloring with chalk, and playing with my magnets on the door.

Well, if you aren't familiar with Texas - Spring brings a lot of wind and up and down temperatures. We have had a few 90+ degree days and I really get lots of use out of my water table. We like the weather so far, especially when Nana and Papa are talking about snow, but we'll see what we think when we are commenting on 100+ this summer.

It was just so hot...

The videos this week are me being busy. 1) Fun with water again, although I got creative and decided I needed a swimming pool!

2) Me on the slide. This slide is really big and usually much too fast for me without Mommy or Daddy's hand to guide me, however, I now know a way to slow down...

Love till next week! x

Air Show

This week's post is all about our Saturday- and the Air Force. We are so proud of my Daddy and his job. We spent Friday night and Saturday at our new base at the Air Show. Friday night was a base wide "Rockin' in the Park" where they had live music, kids entertainment and Free Food (mmm, we love that ;)

"Baaaawuuuun!"

On Saturday, there was so much to see and it is amazing how they open the base to all for this event. It took us an hour just to get through the gate in order to enjoy the festivities. We were a bit delayed because I decided to take an early nap!

Dyess is lined with aircraft from the gate to the center and I proudly announce to Mommy the minute I see them, "Airplanes, airplanes, airplanes...." and as they start to disappear, "Bye bye Airplanes..." We also live near the airport and when we are out for walks I often spot airplanes flying over head. I usually hear them long before they are in view and begin my search so I can tell Momma where they are.
To say I was excited is an understatement!! There were lots of planes flying - old and new. Lots of planes to walk around and inside of, jumpers from the sky, helicopters, and one of the new "unmaned" airplanes on display. The Air Force Thunderbirds put on quite a show at the end and impressed the crowd, as usual I'm sure.
I was also overwhelmingly exhausted!
In other news, Daddy will be deploying in June. This is another sad thing about not living in England (he didn't deploy there). We are OK - knew it was coming and hope for lots of visitors while he is away. We also are even more thankful for web cam! I'm sure the time will go faster than we know, but if you need our address.... **hint, hint*** ;o)

Oh, I finally went to the doctor today too. Mommy seems to have passed on the lovely allergy trait. I'm going to try some new medication, but hopefully I can handle my runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes enough to get on with my day. Texas is NOT allergy friendly and even Daddy seems to need some intervention these days!

The daycare on base also called... We have decided to pass it by. I really like going to Amber's house and am healthier and happier than I have ever been since starting the daycare adventures. Mommy says she can't bare to make another change, especially with Daddy leaving soon. Plus, base was appealing when Daddy could help get me to/from daycare - him leaving has kinda taken that bonus out of the equation. We may visit the option again in the future, but for now, why mess with what works!

Finally, videos... not of me, but if you feel like you want to check out some of the action the Thunderbirds had to offer. We love watching the fighters fly - the skill and training they must have to work together as such a team...

How adorable and unphased by noise...

Thunderbirds!

Love to you all! x