August is like the Sunday of Summer

Summer flew by way too fast, it was our first summer owning the shop and we did not know what to expect. I will say that Tess is a trooper, she spent a lot of summer nights at the shop helping me put out inventory (there was usually some sort of summer treat in it for her like ice cream or a milkshake at the end of the night). I will say being busy made the summer go by too fast, hopefully next summer we can plan a little better and take a couple more weekends off.

We started the Summer off like we always do with a special birthday. Our little one turned 7, she is getting way too big! Tess wanted to have her party at inspire rock, an indoor rock climbing place. She had a blast, it took a little while for the other kids to warm up to the idea of climbing up a wall but once they realized they were attached they took off. 

This party was nice, the place wasn’t crowded, the kids pretty much had the whole upstairs to themselves and it was air conditioned. She had a blast and so did everyone else. This year her theme was unicorns, she is into everything unicorn. She, like all other little girls love the idea of unicorns. So she got a unicorn cake and the owner the Inspire Rock drew her a unicorn. After her party the whole family went to dinner.

Since we moved we thought we would check out the Fairfield 4^th of July activities and we thought that we would bike over to the middle school. Well it was hot, and we were hot by the time we got there. So we did a couple of things hung out inside the school to cool off and then we headed home to run some errands.

This year we did not have the chance to go to as many Astros’ games as we usually do but when we did get the opportunity we made the most of it. One game we didn’t get there in time to get the bobble head of Tess was a little disappointed but one of the season ticket holders that sits next to us gave Tess his. She was so excited. She collects them. Clayton is about to have to build her a special shelf just for her bobble heads.

During the summer Clayton almost always plays in the Texas firefighter games. This year the games were in round rock. I took a couple of days off work and we headed out to town. Clayton’s team did really well and ended up placing in 1^st. Each year its hard to tell which bracket you should be placed and them normally combined division 1 and 2. Well this year they had enough teams to keep them separate. HFD was placed in Division 2 when they probably should have been in Division 1. At the end of the day everyone had fun. Clayton and I were able to have dinner with my Brother and Kate while we were in town also. Tess stayed with my parents all week.

The pups also stayed at camp, we found a cool boarding place. The dogs play most of the time and only come in for naps, to eat and at night. We get daily updates also. They looked pretty happy while we were away.

We took the afternoon off from the shop and went to a birthday party. One of our friends and old neighbors, their son was turning one. He has a Stars War theme and Darth Vader and Rey were also at the Party. Tess knew who Darth was but she enjoyed doing all the activities anyways. It was a pretty cool party!

We decided to play soccer with Fairfield this year and ended up on the same team as on of Tess’s good friends. Fairfield starts their season before school starts and has a parade for the kids at the beginning of the season. The first couple of weeks/months we hot but the season ended before the holidays so that was good.

The weekend before school started we took Tess out to Candytopia, and walked around the exhibit. It was interesting to see all the things made out of candy but the exhibit was short and Tess wasn’t really interested in the Marshmallow pit so there wasn’t a lot of interactive things to do. We had fun anyways and it was a good way to end the summer

Tess was excited to started second grade, I am not ready for this child to be growing so fast. She seems to be getting taller by the minute. I need time to slow down drastically. Next up Second Grade!

Alright Spring.. Do your Thing!

This Spring has been fun and exciting. We started the year off by attending Fan Fest At Minute Maid Park. Last year we were able to get quite a few Astros Signatures but this year they changed the rules and it seemed like you had to pay for the signatures or wait in ridiculous long lines. We did all the other fun stuff and then headed home. It was a great day outside and we had fun just wish the rules would stay the same from year to year.

The weather late winter early spring was awesome. It kept fluctuating between cold and warm which made for some great days in the 70s which are few and far between. When the weather was nice we tried to spend our days outside, but when the weather was cold we spent our days inside hanging out. The weather really depicted our days activities.

March has been the busiest month so far. We sold our house, bought a new house, Tess enjoyed Spring Break and celebrated Matt and Kate’s wedding. Clayton and I decided to move closer to Tess’s school and change her Middle school and High School. This was always the plan we just didn’t know when we would sell and buy. We put our house on the market and found a buyer and we found a house so this was the year.

Tess played soccer for another season this spring and she is getting better each week. She hustles and might be one of the smallest out on the field but would never know it by the way she plays. She is doing well and the best part is she is enjoying be out on the field.

Spring Break this year Tess spent some of her time at Camp Nana and some of the time at home. At the beginning of the week we took her on a surprise ice skating adventure. She wasn’t so sure about it but by the end she was skating around the rink by herself. Her pants were wet from falling down so much but I would recommend bringing a separate set of cloths. We all had a lot of fun.

She then headed on out to Camp Nana and spent time with Nana and PawPaw. They went to the zoo, went to a St. Pattys Day Parade, swam and hung out around the house. She always enjoys her time with her Nana and PawPaw and always asks when she gets to go back.

At the end of the Month it was time to Party and celebrate Matt and Kate. We drove over to Austin for the night to attend their wedding reception. It was good to see family and celebrate their wedding. We had fun but it was good to get back and start unpacking. We had moved the weekend before so we needed to start the process of putting everything in the correct place.

April was filled with Lazy nights getting used to living in a new neighborhood. One of the nice things about our new house is the lake. Tess likes to fish, well she likes to catch. So we went fishing a couple of times and we did actually catch a couple of fish and a turtle. We also fed the ducks and walked around the lake. We tried to spend some time outside before it became too hot outside.

Clayton and I had been working on a business deal since December and in the middle of April it finally closed. We purchased a Paint your own Pottery Shop, Color Me Mine. This is a franchise and we hope to grow this business over time. 

We had the opportunity to visit the Corporate office in California back in February to train on the franchise rules along with learn painting techniques. It was nice to get away but it was good to come home. It has been a whirl wind since we purchased the business and we are learning something new every day.

First Grade has been different and with each grade comes exciting new experiences. This year, the first graders had character book parade where they were to dress up like a character from one of their favorite books. Tess chose The Rainbow Fish and we made it happen. We tie dyed a shirt and then I made her a skirt out of all the different colors. That skirt took a couple of nights in front of the TV but we made it happen and she was so happy going to school and walking in the parade. I think the skirt made it about half the day but she looked great either way.

Tess had been wanting to go to the Zoo, so my mom and I got up early one Saturday morning and headed out. It really wasn’t that crowded because there was rain in the forecast but we got in and out before the rain hit. It was hot but we had a good time seeing all the animals. She knows which animals are her favorite and she wants to see those first and then we can work our way through the rest of the zoo and see every other animal. She has a plan and we are just around for the fun of it. It was a good day and we all had fun.

This year Tess also had a special opportunity with the Houston Astros. She Stole the Base, and we actually took it home! The whole family was there and she has a limited amount of time to run down the first base line steal the base and get back. She did great!

As we were waiting our turn we got to see Orbit and take a couple of pictures. Since we sit in the club level during the game we don’t usually get this close to Orbit so it was pretty cool. Since Tess beat the clock we were given a real base to take home. We still haven’t figured out what we are going to do with it, hopefully get some signatures on it one day!

As May ends, so does school. Tess had a great first grade year. She loved her teacher and she learned so much this year. She is ready for a little bit of a break to relax and soak up the summer sun. Clayton and I were both off for her school party, she had fun. We picked her up early and headed out into summer.

A lot has changed this year: we sold our house, bought another, bought a business, and Tess finished first grade. It’s been a whirlwind but we had fun doing it. Now it is time to relax and soak up some of that summer sun!

The City that Never Sleeps

The day after Christmas we flew out and met Mona and Kevin in New York City. We were all excited about seeing the city but weren’t that excited about the cold. There was one day that was really cold but other than that it wasn’t that bad while we were there.

On the first day that we got there we landed with enough time to land and walk around the city. We ate a late lunch and walked to Rockefeller Square. We ended up not going into FAO Schwarz because there was a huge line but we came back a different day. We did walk towards the Saks building and apparently during the holidays they do a light show. It was really cool but really crowded and we had a really hard time moving around or getting through the crowd after the light show ended. At one point I had to pick up Tess because I was worried that she was going to fall and get trampled. We didn’t spend too much time out and about because we had an early morning the next day.

Our first full day in NYC was spent at Lady Liberty and Ellis Island. It was cold but beautiful weather. When we got there the line was so long and we initially thought we had to wait in that line. We found the right people who directed us to our line which was a lot shorter. It took a while to get through security and to get on the boat but after we made it over it was nice. We then had to go through more security to go up to the base of the statue. We took some pictures and then headed down. By the time we were headed over to Ellis Island the Statue of Liberty started to get pretty crowded.

Ellis Island was pretty cool, and I like that they have explanations for adults and kids. Tess was able to walk through the rooms and listen to the history in a way

that she understands. She loved taking pictures of everything. We gave her one of Clayton’s old iPhone that cant be updated anymore and she took pictures of everything. She really got into the history of this place, it was really neat.

After both Lady Liberty and Ellis Island we headed over to the SeaGlass Carousel. This is something that Clayton and I saw on one of our shows and thought it was cool. It’s an aquarium themed carousel that gives the rider the feeling of being underwater. Tess and I had a blast and I would highly recommend it as it is something different and not your normal carousel. We had a long first day, all we wanted was something to eat and bed.

Our Second day was a good day to do something inside because it rained most of the day. We went to the National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey, this activity was something that I had been looking forward to the most. It was like an aquarium but instead of taking animals out of their homes, Encounter’s groundbreaking technology transports you to theirs.

It was really cool. We were able to play with seals, eels, sea snakes, walk around coral, see a squid fight up close and so much more. This is still one of my favorite parts of the trip. I wish they had one of these closer to home. The best part of this is that it can be ever changing.

Since it was a rainy day and we didn’t think many people would be out and about we decided to try our luck with FAO Schwarz. There wasn’t a long line and we were able to get in pretty quickly. It was very different than I remember it. Tess loved it, she bought a bear. I am glad that we went but its not one of those things that I have to go back. I love my memories as a child of the original store and I think I am going to hold on to those a little longer.

Our third day in New York was a somber one, we headed to the 9/11 Memorial. We had a guided tour of the memorial which was nice but it was cold. We then headed into the Museum and spent quite a bit of time walking around. I think this museum you could spend weeks walking around and still not see everything. This was a hard museum to explain to Tess, because she is too young to fully understand the implications and I would love to go back when she gets older. Most museums are bustling with activity but this one was mostly quiet. It gives you the opportunity to reflect on the day and everything on display.

After we left we ate a quick lunch and then headed to the New York City Fire Museum. This museum was pretty cool, one because we were the only ones there but also because it had so much history in one place. I wish Houston had something like this to be able to visit. We had fun looking at all the historic firefighter stuff. We of course had to take a picture of the 9/11 bull.

Our last day in NYC was a pretty slow day. We woke up to snow flurries, Tess, Clayton and I got dressed real quick so that we could go outside and enjoy the little bit of snow. Tess was so excited because she wanted to see snow the whole trip.

After the snow stopped we headed out to breakfast at this place around the hotel which was pretty good. We then headed to the empire state building and waited in that line. I didn’t think there was going to be that long of a line because it was getting close to New Years Eve and I thought people would be preparing for the events but I guess they had the same thought as we did. The line went pretty fast and before we knew it we were upstairs looking out on the city. 

After the empire state building we headed over the central park and played for a little bit.  

Here are some pictures of us walking around the city, we had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the city. I love the city at Christmas time and we really enjoyed the family time.

The next day we woke up early and headed to the airport. We thought that we needed to get there really early to beat the lines but how the airport is set up everyone goes to different terminals and there really weren’t lines. We got there pretty early but we didn’t have to rush. Next up, the rest of the school year. It was a busy one!

Orange you glad it's fall?

This year Tess had a really fun fall, she played soccer for the first time. Her first season was not the best as we had one of the wettest falls on record. She was a trooper and even though she did not have a lot of practices she went out on game day and played her heart out. She is number 11, the best number in the world and she had fun all season. She was excited to get a medal at the end and even sometimes wears it around the house.

This year Tess had the privilege of announcing Play Ball at the Astros Game. She was nervous but also really excited. Clayton and I were excited because we got to be pretty close to the players and go behind the scenes. She did great and wants to do it again. Some of my coworkers were at the game and didn’t know ahead of time so that was pretty cool that they got to see her as well.

The weekend before Halloween we decided to take Tess to the Renaissance Festival with some friends. Tess and Clayton and never been and it had been years since I had gone. Tess had a blast and we spent pretty much all day walking around. We enjoyed most of the shows and Tess liked looking at all the costumes. Since we visited the weekend before Halloween each store had Candy so the girls were able to trick or treat while we were there as well. I don’t know if we will go every year but this will be something that we can add to our list of places to revisit.

As I mentioned this fall was pretty wet, and Halloween was no different. For a second straight year it rained on Halloween. The rain was off and on until about 9PM and then it was supposed to be a torrential downpour. We ventured out and visited a couple of streets and then proceeded to head home before the real rain started. Tess was bat girl this year and my mom made her outfit. She did an amazing job. Clayton is his normal scary demon self. I don’t dress up. Tess had a blast and that’s all that matters.

School this year has been a blast. Tess loves her teacher and she has been enjoying all the activities. She dressed up as a Pink Lady for the Sock Hop. Both Oma and Nana were parent readers. And Tess just enjoys learning something new every day. We have gotten really lucky with our teachers at Keith.

This year we were able to take two trips to the ranch, one opening weekend and one Thanksgiving weekend. Tess loves spending time at the ranch so any additional time we get to spend there we jump at the chance. We spent the time teaching Tess how to use her BB Gun, explore, visit the baby cow, and play. Everyone had a blast and can’t want to go back.

Late this fall Clayton and I put our house on the market. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving a showing was scheduled so we decided to take Tess somewhere special. We took her rock climbing, there is a place that had just opened up and its adult and kid friendly. Clayton and I were done and Tess was still climbing up and down the walls. I don’t think she ever go tired. She loved it so much she can’t wait to go back

This Christmas was pretty busy, Clayton went to Tess’ school Christmas party and they made a gingerbread house. Tess and I went with my parents to an Astros’ Christmas event. We also went to an event in their neighborhood. Tess also had milk and cookies with Santa.

 She was able to sit down and tell him what she wanted for Christmas. Anadarko had a small Christmas party and I brought Tess home some Party favors and she had to wear them all at once. Matt and Kate got married and we had an open house to celebrate their relationship and introduce Kate Houston friends and family. We also went to the lights at Constellation Field in Sugar Land. Tess opened her presents from Clayton and I early since Clayton had to work on Christmas. December flew by and its not over yet, after Christmas we woke up early and took a flight to New York. All the details on that trip… next post!

Summer Sun brings family fun…

This summer flew by, we had tons of fun and before we knew it school was starting back up. We spent a lot of time at the pool this summer. So much that at one point Tess asked when Clayton had become a pool guy. Clayton is on the HOA board and the pool pumps had a lot of issues this summer and it seemed like Clayton was always the one going up fixing the issue.

We also spent some time indoors bouncing and climbing to get away from the summer heat. We like heading over to the trampoline park because there is a lot for Tess to do and she expends a lot of energy so she is a little tired when we leave.

We headed up to Bedford and then over to Glen Rose for a special Mother’s Day weekend Wedding. Friday night we took Granny out to dinner and spent some time talking with her. Tess enjoys her time with Granny. We don’t get up there that often since school has started so we make the most of the time we have with her. On Saturday we got up and got ready and headed over to Glen Rose for the big event. Alicia and Cody got married in a wonderful ceremony. The service and dinner after was for immediate family and was really nice. Cody and Alicia make a great couple and will have many great years to look forward too.

One of Tess’s favorite days of the summer is bring your kid to work. What she doesn’t realize is that the fun activities that she gets to do at my work is not an actual depiction of what work is in the real world. Tess woke up early, we ate breakfast at work. She did a little bit of work in my office, visited all the marketers and then we made our way over to the Kids at Work activities. There she learned about Energenie and played in the sandbox to learn about elevations. 

Tess loved the sandbox and this was one of the most popular attractions. Tess also learned about LNG, building an offshore platform and how the platform would withstand a hurricane and drilling through a cupcake. She had a blast and Clayton me us for lunch and then they spent the afternoon hanging out. 

Tess had an awesome June because the weekend after bring your kid to work day was her birthday party. We agreed to have the party at our house again. We rented a huge water slide and bought a bunch of water balloons. The weather was perfect, sunny and hot. 

The kids all had such a fun time and when it was time to sing happy birthday they all were excited that we had frozen yogurt instead of cake. It was a nice change from the normal desserts that are served at parties. I can’t believe that our baby girl is already 6 years old. She is growing up to be the cutest mixture of the best qualities of both Clayton and I.

Our July didn’t slow down, Tess and I were on our own for July 4^th. It was a rainy 4^th so we stayed in for most of the day until we ventured out to get some ice cream. We watched a couple of movies and played upstairs and board games. Sometimes I wish that when a holiday falls on a rainy day I would rather work and get a day off when its nice outside. Being off work and not being able to go out and enjoy it is not really fun.

Summer is always Astros season, Tess’s interest with the Astros comes and goes but this year the Astros put in a Virtual Reality baseball experience. Tess really enjoys the VR experience and asks every time we go to the game when she will be able to go to the experience. Overall we have had a lot of fun at the Astros games and we can’t wait for the season to start again, hopefully we will make it all the way this year!

This year the fire fighter Olympics was in Mansfield, we went up the weekend before to spend some time with the Harris family and it seems like we were busy all day every day. There is a small water park that doesn’t cost a lot for Bedford residence. We took Tess and her cousin that is almost a year younger one Sunday morning. The girls had a blast and ran all over the place. They barely got out of the water all morning but we made them take a couple of breaks and they really had a good time together.

Cousin Time

Clayton had a blast playing in the Olympics this year. They brought two teams and several people dropped out at the last minute so one of Clayton's buddies that he played with when he lived in Bedford was able to play with them. In the end they placed third but the guys played really well. It was ridiculously hot the entire time we were there, I was constantly trying to keep Tess cool and hydrated.

While we were in Bedford for the weekend Tess also lost her first tooth. She had been wiggling this tooth for a while and I told her the more she wiggled it the faster it would come out. The next thing I knew she was running outside with a tooth in her hand. The tooth fairy was really nice to her for her first tooth. She has only lost one more since then.

At the end of summer we decided to take a quick trip up the Dallas and spend a couple of days at Great Wolf Lodge. Tess was one of the last kids starting school and she went camping with her Nana and PawPaw and we met them back up in the Bedford area. We weren’t able to take a summer trip so this was our mini vacation. It was nice to get away and relax. Tess had a blast and I will say this was a nice place to visit, there is more to do then just the water park. We will probably go back but will want to go with friends.

I can’t believe it but we are already in first grade. Clayton has to work on Tess’s first day of school so I sent him more pictures then he probably wanted. There will never be another first day of first grade.