Uncle Matt Visits

Micah's brother Matt came to visit recently and stayed for about a week.  The kids loved him being here and are still talking about him constantly.

 One morning I took Matt out to Hamilton Pool for a little hike.  I can't wait to come back when it's warmer and take a dip in this natural swimming hole.  It is gorgeous!

We took the kids roller skating one evening, which was a first for both Owen and Adler.  I had forgotten how much fun skating was and can't wait to go back!  Owen picked it up pretty fast.

Playland Skate Center....open since 1973!

This skate companion really helped Adler and gave her a little independence in the roller rink.

The boys after soccer

Uncle Matt & Owen going on a bike ride

The main reason Matt came was to work on Pop's fishing boat.  Here are the boys giving it a much needed coat of paint!

 We went on a hike down the Barton greenbelt....not much water this time of year!

Cool rock design.

Celebrate 36!

My birthday celebrations were ongoing this year, over the course of a week or so!  It was awesome.

After an early birthday party with my mom and brother at our ranch (that included a super cool pinata), one of my besties flew into Austin the night before my birthday.  Woot, woot!!  Tracy and I spent my birthday eating at cool restaurants, devouring snow cones, and catching up.

Sno Beach!

The almost great family birthday picture.  :o)

Micah had the restaurant make this delicious lemon/lavender cake just for us.  It was amazing and extremely thoughtful.

Tracy and I filled a couple of days shopping, getting mani/pedis, and eating more delicious food.

 A few days later we went to iFly for some extreme fun......apparently this has the same feeling as skydiving, except without the jumping out of an airplane part.  It was such a rush!  Next time the kids want to go.

with Tracy and Lacey

Micah and Tad

Micah bought me this really cool parachute hammock for my birthday too.  I normally have to fight the kids off, but sometimes they take it over.

 It's a great place for an afternoon nap.

Adler's Texas Project

Adler had a school project in celebration of Texas Independence Day in March.  Here are some great pictures of her at different Texas/Austin landmarks that we used for her project.  We had a great time touring the city and visiting all of these places!

At the Texas Capital Building

A cool Texas mural

Downtown Austin in the background

Crossing Lady Bird Lake 

 On a hike on the greenbelt

Silly faces!

Spring Break

I took off work the week of Owen's spring break so we could play all week.  We didn't do anything extravagant, but we did take a few short trips and had a nice break from our school routine!  Our first stop was College Station, where we went to Jordynn's birthday party and hung out with family for a few days.

Adler & Jordynn

We went to Sea World half way through the week with our friends Lori, Ella, and Anna.  It was a long day, but the weather was fantastic and we all had a great time!  The kids were especially excited about all the roller coaster rides.

Anna, Owen, Ella and Adler

Adler and Owen riding the big water ride where we all got WET!  Adler is definitely my little thrill seeker.  She had no hesitation!

We spent the rest of spring break at the ranch, working on the cabin and just enjoying the country!

The cows have really gotten used to eating out of our hands.....fun for everyone!

Brian and Lissette joined us for the weekend and the kids got quite attached to Lissette!  

One evening we managed to have dinner with our cousins....we hadn't all been together in about 6 years!  It was so great to reconnect.

Busy Month!

March was a crazy busy month, and we've had a ton of fun!  We've already had our spring break and had several visitors, so there's a lot to catch up on.

 We finally visited the Thinkery.....the brand new children's museum here in Austin.....and it did not disappoint.  We will definitely be going back (many thanks to Mark and Nicole for the awesome family membership)!

This is the very cool outdoor playground at the Thinkery.

Owen is having a fantastic school year!  He has come so far in his reading and writing.  This was one of his recent writing assignments and I just have to share.  He certainly loves his daddy!

His class invited parents to come in and listen to their original poetry and this is Owen reading his poem to everyone.  He actually wrote about one of our evening neighborhood walks.

This is Owen and a few of his classmates reading a short theater script.

Adler is still taking dance class one day a week and preparing for her recital in May!  It's still her favorite day of the week.

Look at those curls!

Meet Hamlet, a pig we met at a very cool vintage store called Revival.

Owen showing off his strength!