Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend started Thursday night with a girls night at Pinot's Palette.  My friends from high school, Mallory, Annie, Sara and Jenny got together to have share some conversation, painting, pizza, and wine.  Considering most of our painting experience comes from painting Tri Theta banners in high school, I have to say that our bluebonnet canvases are not bad.  

I worked from home on Friday so that I could do laundry and pack us for the lake.  Austin went to school and I rushed around the house doing laundry, answering emails, and packing the family.  We picked up Austin at school around 3pm on our way out of town.  The once 3.5-hour max road trip (pre-child) to the lakehouse was a 4.5 hour trip with a stop at Bucee's (where Savannah proceeded to throw up in the front seat of the car while we were inside).  David cleaned it up (thank you) while I watched Austin eat a "hummus and pretzels" snack pack.  We eventually arrived in one piece around 7:45 after Austin asked multiple times "out, yes" "out, yes?", "out, yes, pees?".  It was so cute (especially with the please).  I wish I could have let him out of the carseat straps because even I was getting antsy.  

Family photo (look familiar?- we took a similar picture on our way back from Jackson Hole in 2009, pre-Austin of course)

Let me OUT!

Mommy is funny, sometimes

We put Austin to bed in his pac 'n play in the closet in our room (no, we are not child abusers; the closet is fairly large and we left the door open). He did not like this at all though.  This was the first time since 8 weeks old he has put up a fight at bed time.  In all fairness, we arrived after his bed time and expected him to feel comfortable going to sleep in a place he had only spent about 15 minutes with new people (Cecile, David and Andrew McAllister - the family we share the house with).  He eventually went to sleep and the adults had dinner.  Saturday was a rainy day.  I was able to run on the roads that were under construction (blessing in disguise - dirt path for my knees/joints!).  We just relaxed around the house and the guys managed to get in a round of golf late in the day after the rain had moved out.  Austin practiced learning everyone's name- David, Andrew, Cecile, Amanda, Stephen, La-La, Will, and baby Paige.  We finally went on a short boat ride around 5pm.  Austin protested the life jacket at first but warmed up to it after realizing how cool the boat is!  We went to eat dinner at the Rigney's house that evening.  It was fun to get to see Sara (childhood friend from SA) and her girls, Sarita (almost 5) and Anna (almost 3).  Austin even stayed up until 9:15 that night without getting grumpy at all.  He was wired after loving his whole ear of corn on the cob that he ate all by himself.  

Now that is happy boy!

Taking it all in

Sticking close to mommy while Daddy drives fast

Austin and all the girls - Sarita, Sara, Anna, mommy, Amanda and baby Paige

On Sunday, the guys played golf in the morning.  Lauren, Will and I went out on the boat early to get a good ski and wakeboard in before the holiday crowds came while Austin stayed with DiDi.  That afternoon, we had some very special visitors.  The Crabbs family came to visit.  This is the family that I babysat for throughout college.  Jack was the ring bearer in our wedding when he was 4 1/2.  I started babysitting Jack when he was 6 months old and Reagan was not yet born.  They currently live in Lakeway so they drove out for a few hours to meet Austin and swim/boat.  Jack is now 10 1/2 and finishing 4th grade and Reagan is 8 1/2 and finishing 2nd grade. Wow!  I AM OLD!  The last time I saw them was 3 years ago when I was in Austin for Lauren's college graduation.  It was so fun to catch up with Kim (their mom) and see how much they have changed and grown.  They loved playing with Austin and he loved watching them swim and tube behind the boat.  Jack's hair is still SOOO curly!  That evening we enjoyed a sunset cruise and had a wonderful fajita birthday dinner for Carolyn Spurgeon and me.  On Monday morning, David took me skiing one last time while Austin stayed behind with DiDi.  We packed up and hit the road (traffic back to Houston on holiday weekends can be rough).  Austin proved that he is growing up since he napped only 30 minutes in the car on the way home thanks to Bastrop traffic disrupting the steady car motor noise and was still happy as can be throughout the car ride and when we got home.  I wish we could just stay at the lake and escape reality forever.  At least we will be returning on June 21 for another lake weekend!!  

Enjoying a peach yogurt popsicle

Watching the funny big kids 

Post swim snack with the Crabb kids

Swimming with Daddy, the pool was still quite chilly

Watching for boats

Sunset cruise with baby Paige (her first boat ride)