hopping & MOPing

Last weekend we attended our 1st Easter event. My new MOPS group has an annual party at a home with bounce houses, sand and water tables, decorating crafts, pin the tail on the bunny game, egg hunt, pinata and potluck lunch.

Georgia insisted (insisted) on wearing her 'pwetty wed dwess wid a bow on it' to the party. I tried to tell her it was hot outside and that her Christmas dress would not be comfortable but it was just not worth the fight. So we compromised on me picking out her shoes and leggings (which she has to wear a pair with every dress). She was the fanciest dressed one at the party and got lots of compliments!

Emmaline was too busy hunting eggs for a picture..she and Georgia had a bucket full while some other kids had none..we had to practice the art of sharing..it was a little tough for G but Emmaline willingly gave some to a friend.

E hit the pinata, but G didn't want to take a swing. I don't have any pics of it because it was the last thing we did at the party and I was hot and because Hayes had found the dessert table and kept stealing cupcakes off of it. He was a wild man and I was trying to contain him! I failed! We ended up leaving, him kicking and screaming and me with icing all over my black shorts!

I loved that they asked us to bring eggs filled with toys or snacks instead of candy, because we had a pinata. AMEN to that idea! The party was really nice and the kids had a blast.

They were so worn out and took a big nap all afternoon. It was on a weekend so Daniel was able to attend and meet some other dads.

This was Hayes' 1st Easter hunt that he could really participate in and he was egg-cited! HA!
He looked so cute..his cheeks were so rosy and his hair was curled up from the heat. LOVE!

I am hoping to get the kids dressed up to see the Easter Bunny at some point, though I doubt it will go over well with G and HB. Expecting tears!!

We also have been discussing why we celebrate Easter, making glitter gluey bunny crafts and some yummy snacks too!

Punta Cana - dia cuatro - El Fin

Finally, the last post from our amazing DR vacation. I know it has taken me forever...so here goes from my more than fuzzy memory..

Saturday, we had plans to meet poolside for the entire day!

We all woke up a little slowly and tired from our previous night of dancing and singing til the bar closed us down.

Daniel and I hopped on the trolley and ended up finding our usual smaller group at the beach.

It was the perfect spot because we could see who was at the pool, were right by the cabana bar and got to enjoy being in the sand and waves!

We flew a kite, bought some jewelry, dug our 'keg hole' and got knocked over by strong waves. It was a nice morning and the perfect way to start the day.

We finally got to the pool with lots of begging and ordered some food from the waitress. We knew it was going to be a long day and we would need something in our stomach.

John Paul took pictures with a monkey, we took turn sliding down the kiddie slides and there were plenty of Mamajuana shots being passed around. By passed around, I mean a waitress walking around with a bottle and pouring it down our throats til we wave our hand to stop her.

There was some questionable attire worn by Chuck and a foam toilet but I won't go in to details. And then the drinking contest started..the boys were picked to come to the stage and had to chug a beer against other contestants.

Jimmy, Barry, Nut and Chuck participated from our group. Barry and Jimmy made it the furthest, with Barry being the "fastest drinker in the USA"! HA! Well, the fastest drinker in the USA had a little too much and fell asleep on the pool bar then had to have help to his room!

Lots of us from the group ended up taking a swim in the ocean before dark and it was chilly getting out in the wind.

We made big plans to meet up at the Hibachi grill for dinner in a few hours.

Dinner was great..only about 50% of the group made it, but it was yummy!

We headed to the casino one last time to make some more money on roulette then we met the rest of the group at the bar.

It was beers, shots and more dancing for us.

You know how second winds hit you!!

It was a fun night again..we ended up making rounds hanging out at different friends' hotel rooms til we finally ordered room service in the wee hours at our own.

We sort of slept in on Sunday, frantically packed all our stuff and hung out in the lobby with our group of friends to leave.

The customs and lines were out of control but we powered through and made it back in Houston, TX around 1 a.m.

I was so happy to be back in the good old USA and to see my babies the next morning.

What a trip! Who's planning the next one??!!

Neither here nor there

So we are back home and have been since Tuesday night..it was a long ride but the kids did so well. I am continuously impressed with how great they do on long trips. It makes traveling to CS or SA or Mississippi not seem so bad which is nice because I like to go places.
I am still trying to get us out and about here. It is hard since the kids aren't in any structured activities yet. I am hoping to start swim lessons soon. We do MOPS but that is so sporadic that it is hard to meet people.
We had lots of fun in CS. After me and the kids had our St. Patty's playdate I got to go out with my friends to the Icehouse on Lake Bryan. It was so fun to hang out and eat crawfish with Pauline, Autumn, Pepper and Kristi! Me and Pauline won in washers!

I really liked it out there and hope to go back again soon and it was kid friendly for the most part!

Live music, good food..FUN!

{our new puppet show}
The next day I helped my parents clean out the garage then got packed to leave the next afternoon. Jimmy called to say he was going to Northgate for crawfish and to hang out. I couldn't say no, of course. So he and Patricia picked me up and we headed out. We had a fun time playing games, eating crawfish and chatting with Miles and Tracer. The night ended a tad later than expected and with a stop at T.C. YUM!

{green beer a day later but still good}

Needless to say the next day I was too tired to drive 6.5 hours by myself...I decided to stay in CS one more night to recover (and hang out with Natalie!).

{HB loved the queso!!}
We lunched with Nat and Toodge at my favorite lunch spot Coco Loco and took pictures in bluebonnets. Natalie came over and we drank Sangria and Champagne and chatted. We are so excited to see Natalie and Toodge over Easter!!
We arrived home late on Tuesday, Wednesday we registered the kids for Fall for school, unloaded the car, did laundry and cleaned a bit. Thursday was E and HB's well checks at 8am. We woke up late and G started throwing up as soon as she sat in front of her cereal bowl. LOVELY! Thankfully, Daniel was still home and stayed with G while she continued to throw up. Poor thing! The new dr. office was great and Dr. Z was really nice and thorough..she said the kids look healthy!

E is 41 lbs.(60th %) and 43 in. (75th %). Hayes is 25.7 lbs.(50th %) and 34.5 in. (90th %). No shots for either!!
I was bummed because we were supposed to head directly to a playdate and because of puke we didn't go. Of course, she was fine the rest of the day, scarfing down food, jumping on the trampoline, swinging, etc.
Also, and last thing I promise...this is such a random post...we had a cat stuck in our trampoline and was going crazy trying to claw it's way out.

Luckily Emmaline is brave and likes animals so she got in there and helped it out. Then today a stray dog found us playing in the front outside and made himself comfy. E was in love and started calling him Sparkle. She let him in the house, gave him water & food and threw the ball for him. She even found a leash for him. Now he won't leave our porch..he is cute, but I don't see Daniel going for it!

{family movie night~Rapunzel}

Punta Cana - dia tres - "Wedding of the Century"

The day was Friday, February 24, 2012. It was finally time for the "Wedding of the Century" per Facebook. Michael and Rachel's big day had finally arrived, but the celebrating was already in full swing as expected!

We woke up wishing to sleep in a little longer, but knowing that we must get out of bed and rally. I was a part of the Bridal Entourage and Daniel was just a part of the beach party!
The wedding party (sort of-her sister, Sarah, was the only one in the wedding, but we were supporters!) girls got strict orders to be at the Eden pool to hang out, have a few mimosas and rest for the morning. I believe that is where I got really sunburned on my feet. I just layed there in a daze for a while and didn't think twice about the sun. It was so pleasant out. Oh well, I am still peeling, but it doesn't hurt to wear sandals anymore!
After we left our girl time, I met up with Daniel at the beach and we headed off to get some lunch. After some sub-par buffet food we ended up back at the beach for the remainder of the afternoon before we rushed to ready ourselves for the ceremony! There were lots of drinks and lots of great conversations with friends. It was one of my favorite afternoons because it was so low-key and just great to spend quality time with old friends telling stories and making new memories. That is what I call vacation!

We had to tear ourselves away from the palm trees, crashing waves and palapa bar to get ready for the wedding. I rushed as usual and we made it out of the room in time! As soon as we turn the corner we see RAIN! OH NO....they were getting married on the actual beach...I had flashbacks of my wedding 6 years prior..being moved from the beach to the gazebo. So we hop on the trolley and make our way towards Ipanema Beach.

We get there and are the only ones...Hmmmm...I'm about to get off the trolley and drop my phone in the puddle of water (trying to text peeps to see where they were at) and I freak a bit because I didn't want it to break and I seriously, I kid you not, face plant off the trolley as my shoe slips. No worries, I didn't spill my drink! But my hair, dress and body was wet, covered in sand and there was blood. NICE! Before Daniel could blink (or help me) I was swaddled in a warm towel and surrounded by 3 resort workers asking me if I was ok. I was, maybe a bit embarrassed and annoyed, doing fine. I really thought my dress was going to be ruined, but it was dry within minutes and besides the bloodly knees and ankle no one knew I had fallen. It was a wedding miracle! And my phone was rescued!

So we find out that the ceremony is indeed switched to the nearby gazebo and we get a drink to wait it out. The ceremony begins and it is gorgeous. I have to say that John Paul (one of Michael's oldest best friends) did a wonderful job marrying them. He told some stories, talked about their personalities and them as a couple. I was impressed!

My dad and her sister stood up for them and we got to pelt them with rose petals as they walked out! A few notes to remember, when the boys (JP, Michael & my dad) they walked in to the music of 'The Good, the Bad & the Ugly' - you know, wah wah wah...like they were walking to a shoot out.

It was hilarious and Daniel and I had brought the "That's mayhem" sign I got from the National Championship game and he just had to wave it during that time. It was perfect timing, though!

So, we had a champagne toast and took a trillion pictures. Then we trolleyed over to the reception area, a roof top outdoor area with different food stations. Rachel's bouquet was gorgeous..she made it out of brooches she gathered from friends and family. They had their 1st dance, we signed a neat map of the DR with well wishes, the boys smoked cigars, people toasted to Mr. & Mrs. Stevens.

We also got to watch the sun (no longer rain) go down over the beautiful ocean and dance the night away! The "that's mayhem" sign made an appearance a few more times and we took plenty of good luck Mamajuana shots!

After Nut needed a time out (nap) in the bathroom downstairs of the reception, we all decided we had to continue the dance craze we had started! I am telling you, there was dancing! Guys had routines that had been previously perfected and the girls were getting low!

It was hilarious and serious.. Eventually we took over a karaoke bar with our group of about 50 people. It was a little cramped! We sang, we drank, we cheersed (is that how you spell it?) and then we did it again!

Nut ended up needed a little longer nap and decided to take it on the table..but oops, he missed the table and fell to the ground, taking with him the table, 5 drinks on it and 2 chairs! It was quite the crash..and we all just stared at him...some poor good samaritan thought this was not normal for him and rushed to see if he was breathing and ok...he was fine..a few bruises, but that was the end of his night! {That may be too much info for most of you, but I just want to remember the trip as it happened}

It was a wonderful day and night! I am so happy to have another fun sister in law in the family! Poor Michael and Rachel had to be up at 9 am at the beach dressed in their wedding attire for the Trash the Dress pics..they were exhausted from them, but they turned out amazing!!