Day Out with Thomas

Mary Elizabeth and I took the "three twins" on a road trip last weekend... off we went to Oklahoma City to see Thomas the Train! We kept the destination a surprise until we arrived and the kids were so confused to see the lifesized Thomas the Train - they had no idea what was going on! But, they loved it. We got to play lots of Thomas-centered games, meet Sir Topham Hatt, buy everything in the gift shop (of course) and... (drum roll)... ride the train! Jackson Camper has been begging to ride a real train for years, so this was a treat beyond measure.

The kids all did great! No fussing, no fighting, just lots of playtime (and good time for Mary E and I to catch up during the drive!). We are already looking forward to our next road trip - we're taking suggestions!

Hittin' the beach

We traveled down to Perdido Key, Fla., in July with GanGan, Big Daddy and Anna and Matt. The kids LOVED the beach - playing in the sand, filling the kiddie pool with water, visiting the Naval Aviation Museum and splashing in the waves. Mom made her famous seafood gumbo and we also enjoyed a night out a Lulu's, my favorite beach restaurant. If only we could get down there more often!

Post-family pic pics

Another family picture

We got to spend a few July days in Perdido Key, Fla., with my parents, sister and husband. All but one day was beautiful (and during the rain we toured the Naval Aviation Museum, which the kids surprisingly loved!) and we had lots of fun both on the beach and lazing around in the condo.

We decided to try to take a quick family pic on our last night. I "organized" this endeavor and - of course - had everyone squinting into the sun, but I am still happy we got one good pic all together! And one I'm actually in :)

Sea World!

While in TX we got to spend the day at Sea World with some of our best friends, the Jankowskis. Their twins, George and Abigail, are some of our twins' favorite people in the world, as are Gaga Carrie and Don Matt (they are our kids' godparents and vice versa, hence the nicknames).

I was a little worried about the heat and the crowds but it was a perfect day! Sunny, high 80's, no real crowds, it was incredible. We didn't take in any of the shows but did spend tons of time at the waterpark. The kids loved splashing around and Jackson Camper even took a ride down his first waterslide and played in the wavepool.

It was a great day, finished off with a little Rudy's barbeque - more ribs for me! We had such a good time with you, Janks! Love you!

Family Pictures

Zilker Park

While in Austin, we got to spend the afternoon with my uncle Owen. He showed us some of the local hot spots, including Zilker Park.

We got to ride the "Zilker Zephyr" train, which Jackson Camper loved (note - he's told us he wants to now go by both names!). We then got sno-cones (which I loved) and played on the really impressive playgrounds. There are cool springs running through Zilker, so Carlisle and I went down to dip our feet in.

Perfect afternoon! We rounded it out with a Cajun-style dinner at the Shoal Creek Saloon. So good to spend some quality time with you, Owen! We love you :)