Colorado Vacation

We just arrived home yesterday from our family vacation in Colorado. We drove 2800 miles and had a wonderful time. Although the driving began to be a bit much towards the end, it wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be.

We started out our trip on Friday and headed to Kerrville, Texas. It's about 3 1/2 hours from Corpus Christi. We didn't get to leave until later that day because Adam had to finish up a few last things at work, but we wanted to knock some miles out of the way. Kerrville is a lovely little town. It was our first night in the hotel and I got the chance to see what Logan was going to be like sleeping....her foot was going to be permanently stuck in my ribs every night. YEAH for me.

Saturday morning we got up and started our drive. Our plan was to head to Carlsbad, New Mexico and stay the night there. The day was mostly uneventful besides some of the dirty towns we drove through and the fact that I through my car keys away in this disgusting trash can on accident and had to go get them. No it wasn't a dumpster, but it was still disgusting. Once we got to Carlsbad we realized that we could go much further and decided to head to Albuquerque. Thank you to our friend Brian for getting online for us and finding us a GREAT hotel to stay at. The entire drive that day was terribly boring, but we survived it.

Sunday morning we were back on the road for our first Colorado destination; Durango. It was absolutely gorgeous. The weather was perfect; warm but no humidity. We were told it was the hottest day of the year and of course we thought it felt amazing. We went to visit our friends, The Dupont's. On Sunday they took us downtown to check out the stores. It was so green and so beautiful. Here is Logan and the Dupont kiddos playing on these horses by the train station.

That evening we had a fabulous dinner at there house and sat on their back deck. I wish I would have gotten pictures of it. The view was pretty awesome.

Monday morning Adam, Logan and I headed out to do a few things on our own. We drove around the town a bit and went up to the College they have in Durango, Ft. Lewis College. The campus is awesome. It's on top of this mountain and it overlooks the city. Incredible. Here is a few pictures of us by the University.

After checking out the college, we went back downtown and walked around a bit more. The day was a bit cooler and Logan seemed to be enjoying her nap in the stroller.

That evening they took us on a drive to this restaurant by a lake. We had dinner on the deck and after dinner we drove around the entire lake. It was a pretty awesome view. Here are a few pics from the lake.

We had a great time with the Dupont's. Thank you guys.

Tuesday morning we headed off to our second destination, Castle Rock Colorado. It's a small town outside of Denver. My brother and his family lives there and my Dad was flying in from South Carolina to hang out with us.

Adam and I decided to take the "scenic" drive from Durango to Castle Rock. We went through San Juan National Forest. I can't count how many times we said, "Beautiful, Awesome, Unbelievable." The views were absolutely breath taking. Although the drive took us a few hours longer than the original drive was to take, we couldn't pass up on the experience of seeing these views. Adam did majority of the driving through the mountains. There were a few parts where it was a bit scary...huge drops to the side of us. Here are a few pics from our drive.

Yes, that is a cyclist in front of us...we were going pretty slow for us, but if I were on a bike it would have been too fast for me. Pretty impressive

I was so happy to arrive in Castle Rock to see my family. I knew my brother had something big in store for greeting us at his house. The last time we saw them was for our wedding and when Adam came over to the house they were staying at, my brother walks out in a speedo and gives Adam a hug..."welcome to the family." I of course am quite use to this display from my brother and take huge enjoyment in it. He cracks me up. Well here is the outfit that he greeted Adam in this time.

After the hilarious greeting we had dinner with my brother, my sister-in-law, dad and nephews. Logan and my nephew Ev had a BLAST together. They were all over the place playing with toys. It was so great to see them get a long so well. And it was so wonderful to get to be with my family.

Wednesday my Dad treated us all to a trip to the Denver Zoo. Although we only made it a few hours it was a lot of fun. Again, Ev and Logan had a lot of fun together. Logan loves Monkeys and she kept making monkey noises. It was very cute. The most "interesting" part at the zoo was when we went to see the Gorillas. There was this lady nestled on one of the ledges next to the gorilla...of course the glass was keeping the two from touching each other, but these two were having some sort of conversation together...if the glass weren't there I don't know what would have happened. It was very interesting to see the Gorilla interact with her like this. Here is a picture of what that looked like.

Here is a picture that we took of the cousins together at the zoo.

Aren't they adorable.

After the zoo we had lunch and then Adam, Logan and I went shopping at the outlet mall. Later that evening my Dad treated us again to a FABULOUS dinner at Pappadeauxs. It was so good. We took a bunch of family pictures while we were there. Here are a couple those pictures.

Thursday morning we said goodbye to my family and started our journey back to Corpus Christi. We spent the night in Amarillo and go a chance to meet up with our friends, Andrew and Adrienne Chaddick. We were so happy to see them before they get ready to have their first little baby in a few weeks. Logan had one of best meals while we had dinner with them. I didn't want her to scare them too badly. :) She also tried breaking in all the baby's new toys. We didn't get a picture with them, which we were upset about, but we wish them the best of luck in this new chapter of their lives. They are going to be awesome parents and we can't wait to meet their new little one.

Friday morning was back on the road. We left Amarillo at 8am and got back to Corpus at 7:30pm. After driving 2800 miles, listening to 2 different Dora DVD's, 1 Yo Gabba Gabba DVD and CD and many diaper changes in the car because many restaurants don't have changing tables, we were glad to be home. The trip was definitely an adventure and it was full of fun. We had a blast, but it was definitely time to sleep in our own bed...however poor Logan thought she was still going to get to sleep with Mommy.

Here is one final picture of what Logan looked like in the back seat as we pulled in to Corpus Christi. I think a week of vacation wore her out.

Logan's Birthday party

Her official birthday isn't until tomorrow the 15th of June, but we had a birthday party for her this weekend. It was a "Dora" party and she loved it. Besides getting tons of Dora presents from friends and family, she had a Dora cake, Dora decorations, she wore a Dora dress and we served mexican food for dinner. It was a lot of fun!!! Here are a few pics of her birthday fiesta.

Here she is opening up her Dora Vanity set from her Auntie Michaela...we put it together she loves it.

We got her a tricycle for her birthday...I give her 2 weeks and she'll be riding down the street...need to get her a bell. :)

Blowing out her candles...or maybe Mommy and Daddy were blowing them out and she was watching.


The three of us....

Yummy cake...or cup cakes!!!

Mother Daughter Vacation

Logan and I just got back from a week long mother and daughter vacation to California. It was lots of fun. Logan was exceptional on the plane rides. We got to stop and hang out with lots of my friends along the way on our visit.

On Thursday we flew into San Jose and stayed with Lynette for a couple of days. Thursday I was so exhausted and so was Logan that the both of us went to bed super early that day. Friday we got up and went to the Oakland Zoo. I was very impressed with the Zoo. It was a smaller zoo, but it was very clean and there weren't many people there, so Logan got to run around for quite a bit. Here are a few pics of our Zoo trip.

The three of us on a train ride around part of the zoo....."choo-choo."

Logan actually posing for a picture. Thank goodness she's into watching other kids and doing what they do. They were all turning for their mommies up against the fence and smiling for the camera.

After the Zoo on Friday we headed back and got our daily nap and then that afternoon went shopping at a few different stores.

Saturday morning we got up and headed in the Valley where I stayed with my friend Monica and her hubby and kiddos for the night. Logan got some great playing time in with Monica and her daughter, Dakota, who just happens to be like 6 months older than Logan. They had LOTS of fun and I had lots of fun getting to catch up with Monica. Here are a few photos of Logan and Dakota playing.

Here is Logan sticking her head out of a minitaure doll house they had in the backyard.

Logan and Dakota running around.

The "real" playhouse that they are making. WOW!!!

Sunday morning we got up and headed into my hometown to go to the the church that I went to as a kid. My brand new niece, Kambria, was being dedicated. I think I surprised a lot of people at church who hadn't seen me in a VERY long time...like 12 years. During the baby dedication they had the family of both sides come up to the front and be witnesses to the dedication. As the preacher was saying a wonderful prayer, Logan decided that she needed to meow like a kitty. Not just meow one time, but repeatedly meow. How that man finished his prayer without a laugh is beyond me, but I know that when the prayer was over with I was thanking God for ending the prayer. :)

During our time in Tulare I stayed with the parents of one of my greatest childhood friends. They had a little grandson who was about 4 months younger than Logan. He was adorable and the two of them on Sunday had a blast playing in the back yard. Here are a few pics of her playing in the backyard.

The Sumi's were so wonderful letting Logan and I stay in their house. It was so comfortable being there. Much better than staying in a hotel room.

I also got a chance to visit with my cousin...who I unfortunately did not get any pictures with. I also hung out with one of my high school friends, Jill and her kiddos. WOW!!! That was great. We got to catch up with each other and talk about the past. Grandma Lou (Jill's grandma) has turtles in her back yard and so here are a few pics of Logan checking out the turtles. She loved them.

And here is a final picture of my sister Kirsten, niece Kambria, and Logan and I

Logan and I had a blast on our trip. I really miss all my friends from California. I wish that I could see them more. We have such wonderful memories together. Thank you to all the wonderful friends that let Logan and I stay at your house. It made our vactation that much more enjoyable. Looking forward to another California Vacation.

Hoppity Easter

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. I sure did. It was another wonderful time celebrating the holiday. I had Friday off of work, so that was really great. Adam's parents hung out with Logan during the day and Adam and I got to spend some time together. It actually seemed like it had been a LOOONNNNGGG time since we had done that. I'm glad we did something fun with our time together. We went and ate lunch together and then went out to the beach. I got a little burnt at lunch, so we only stayed at the beach for about an hour or so, but it still was great to be hanging out there.

Saturday, Adam's sister came into town and they wanted to keep Logan over night. YEAH!!! That meant we were going to get to sleep in past 7am and Logan was staying with Honey, Grandpa, and Aunt Michaela.

Easter morning we headed over to get Logan dressed for church and we all headed out to mass. Logan lasted longer than she did at Christmas, but she still did not make it through the entire service. It probably didn't help that she had Aunt Michaela, Honey and Grandpa up at 4:30am.

After church we had lunch with everyone, Logan did a bit of Easter egg hunting. Although Logan was in the cutest dress for Easter...Thank you Aunt Peg...Logan didn't keep it on for long. You'll notice that this year Logan spent Easter mostly in just her diaper. She was feeling very relaxed and she was having so much fun, I didn't want to stop her.

Overall, the 3 day weekend that I had was fabulous. Can't wait for another break like that. I think my next long weekend will be Memorial weekend.

Here are some pics of Easter weekend.

Although the picture is blurry, here we all are dressed up for church...don't you love Logan's glasses?!!

Logan hunting for Easter eggs




Dad, Mom and Logan checking out the egg.

What just busted on my head??

Oh, this is fun...I like busting these eggs open!!

Adam and I....I'm feeling the "Easter bunny" spirit and Adam he's trying to film Logan at the same time.

The three of us...

Beautiful baby girl...

Happy Easter Everyone!!!

Testing out the Beach

We took Logan to the Beach again this weekend. I figured we should take her as much as we can so we can get her to like it more. She didn't cry, but she still didn't like when her shoes and feet got sandy. She did really well though. She even walked out to the water with us. I was proud of her. Here are a few pics of us with her at the beach.

Logan walking back up to her towel

Daddy and Logan hanging out together.

Mommy and Logan's turn....I know Mommy needs a tan. You would think I'd have one living so close to the beach. :)

A FULL Spring Break Week!!!

I'm so sad that today is the last day of Spring Break. I really enjoyed the vacation. I guess it's a really great taste of what summer has in store for me.

The first day of spring break, Saturday, was a VERY rainy, wet day, but Adam and I HAD to get the sod laid down in our yard. Yes, we tore out all those plants in our front yard and put grass in. It was such a difficult chore and it took a few hours, but through all the wet and mud Adam and I got it all down and I can't believe the huge difference it makes to our house. It really opens it up and makes it more inviting. I wish I had before and after pics of what we did, but unfortunately I don't have either. Lets just all keep our fingers crossed that it takes. We've been doing lots of watering to it.

Sunday, March 15th, Adam and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary. It seems so odd to say it was our one year anniversary because we've been together for so long, but it was. WOW!!! I am so blessed to have a wonderful husband. Here is a picture of that wonderful spring day last year.

I had a few things I wanted to do during the week of spring break. I wanted to read a book and I wanted to do something with Logan away from the house everyday. And I can actually say that I accomplished both those goals. I read a fabulous book called, The Reader. Some of you may have seen the movie, but I had not, so I did not know what the book was about. It was a really great book and I really don't have any intentions on watching the movie. I don't want take anything away from the book. I suggest to anyone who has not watched the movie to read the book.

Logan and I also did something everyday during spring break. On Monday, Logan, Honey, and I went to the Texas State Aquarium...which happens to be in Corpus. Adam was able to meet up with us later on during the day. We had a blast there. We walked around and looked at all the different sea creatures. We watched the dolphin show, had lunch, and played in the playground area. Here are a few pics of that great adventure.

Logan checking out the otters. She kept calling them Ki-Ki's for Kitty

Honey and Logan looking at the colorful fish!!!

Mom and Logan going down the slide together. What things we do for our kids.

Daddy's turn on the slide....

Logan, Honey, Mommy and Daddy on our way out. What a great time!

On Tuesday, St. Patricks Day, Logan, Honey and I went to watch, "Elmo Goes Green" at the American Bank Center. We had excellent seats. Logan really seemed to enjoy herself. Here are a few pics from that wonderful experience.

We were VERY close up. In fact we actually moved to sit further back.

Logan checking out the show

Honey and Logan enjoying Elmo

And this part shocks me. This balloon cost $10. Yes, can you believe that they get away with selling that thing for $10. Poor Logan, she didn't get a balloon that day.



Elmo and Logan together!!!

On Wednesday I decided to take Logan up to the pool that her and I would be starting swim lessons at next week. They had an "open swim" time, so I thought it would be perfect. I was SOOOOOO wrong. There were about 300 kids too many there. The pool was extremely crowded and Logan did not get quite the experience I was hoping she'd get. We stayed for about 10 minutes and left. I forgot we weren't the only ones on spring break.

On Thursday Logan, Honey and I went to the beach. Logan has not been to the beach in a VERY long time. I was bummed to see that she didn't enjoy it that much. She wasn't very fond of the sand...that's not something that she needs to dislike at the beach. I've never heard of a beach without sand. I guess Adam and I need to take her there more often so she will learn to appreciate it. Here are the few pics we were able to catch there.

Mom and Logan playing together. I'm trying to do whatever I can, so she'll have fun.
Taking a walk together...
Honey and Logan together...

On Friday it was my 30th Birthday. WOW!!! I can't believe I'm out of my 20's. I don't feel 30, not that I really know what 30 is suppose to feel like. I feel like people might take me more seriously. I'm not just a young child anymore, I'm 3o. :) I'm old enough to have had some "experiences" in my life. Adam and I went to dinner in Rockport that night. It was very delicious. It was a really nice dinner with just the two of us.

Saturday morning, we got up early and Adam, Logan, Honey and I headed out for San Antonio to go to the Zoo. There were soooooo many people there. Last year, we were at the San Diego Zoo and I believe there were just as many people at the San Antonio Zoo as there was the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo is much larger than San Antonio Zoo. Logan seemed to enjoy herself for the most part. We had our difficult moments...especially when she was hungry and I think we waited in like for like 30 minutes just to get our food. We saw LOTS of animals and she got a chance to walk around a bit. Here are a few pics of that wonderful occasion.

Logan and Dad checking things out...

Logan and Dad by the reptiles...that was not my favorite part

I think we all felt this way after the zoo. Everyone needed their nap, but Logan definitely got hers. :)

And today is Sunday and I am getting back into the swing of things, ready...well not REALLY ready, to start work back up again. I'm lucky to have had such a wonderful break. It' s going to make the summer that much more enjoyable. Logan starts tippi toes back up on Monday and Tuesdays and Thursdays we are starting swim lessons. I hope all of you, who had the week off, had just as enjoyable of a week as I did. Thank you Honey for going with Logan and I on all these wonderul adventures....we sort of filled up your Spring Break week also. And Thank you Corpus Christi weather for being good to us!!

Logan says "Thank you" too!!!