Lake weekend!

Since I am way behind with blogging, I thought I would try to catch up in chronological order.  Two weekends ago, we went to the lake house.  Annie came with us!!!  She was such a great car-buddy for Austin while I drove (David came up later that evening).  Stephen and Ricki were already there.  My dad, Pop, and his wife, Gram, and BB (my grandmother) were also up at Horseshoe Bay staying at my dad's house.  We met them for dinner on Friday night.  Ricki even took Austin to see them on Saturday morning while David, Annie and I took the boat out for a ski.  We all skiied or wakeboarded.  That afternoon BB came over to swim with Austin.  He LOVED that!  It is precious how he is repeating everything right now, especially names.  He catches on to new names very quickly and loves to repeat and repeat.  One of his favorite things to do is scroll through pictures on the computer and name all of the people.  It is hilarious!  We even got to see Mere, Matt and baby Caroline and the Spurgeon parents too.  Austin proceeded to eat most of the Spurgeon's watermelon while we enjoyed a glass of wine.  David, Annie and I grilled salmon and steak with some veggies for dinner on Saturday night after Austin went to bed.  The pictures can tell the rest....

Trying out the new floatie

Practicing kicking

Eyeing Uncle Stephen's coke (even though all he cared about was the ice)

Swimming with BB!

Family swim time

Watching for boats

More family swimming

Chatting with Baby Caroline and her daddy Matt

Sweet Annie is Austin's new buddy

Driving with Daddy

Hanging out with Pop and Uncle Stephen on the couch with the remote controls - just what boys do :)

Watermelon at the Spurgeons with doggy Caley (sp?)

Captain Austin

Rough housing with Pop

Get me OUT of this car (we barely made it home after listening to itsy bitsy spider 37 times)

Cousin Claire's wedding

My first cousin, Claire, got married this past weekend in Lufkin (about 2 hours from Houston).  She married her high school sweetheart, Parker.  It was a fun-filled weekend including a rehearsal dinner Friday night (Adults only, Austin stayed with a babysitter).  On Saturday, most of the guys played golf and some of the girls were invited for brunch at the salon where the bridal party was having their hair and make-up done.  Austin represented as the only boy at the salon (oh, I lied, Claire's grandfather was there too).  The wedding was at the Baptist church and the reception at the Civic Center.  I think there were about 600+ people there.  Claire was beautiful and they looked so happy to finally be married. :)  We pray that their marriage stays strong and that they have tons of fun together.  Here are a few pictures from the weekend...

If you are happy and you know it, clap your hands  (our road trip music)

Shout hooray!

Little Blue truck came into the city...beep beep beep

Rehearsal dinner

Cute pic!

Saturday morning date with Mommy to the Lufkin Whataburger - loving his first taquito

Only attempt at a family photo - didn't turn out so great

Terror in the pew (he lasted until right after Claire came down the aisle - the minister started talking on the microphone and he got very scared - lip quiver and tears, so David had to take him to the foyer and watch through the window on the door)

Loves Uncle Stephen

LOVES Grandad.  He literally followed him through the crowd at the reception just so Grandad would hold him "Up!"

Two handsome fellas

Just awesome

Chilling with the boys before heading back to go nite nite with the babysitter

Well-dressed little toe-head (he had lost the suspenders by this point)

Checking out the lights and the band

Awe

He started clapping right about now

Beautiful couple

Attempt to get a picture with the bride

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)

Curly top

Austin got his first haircut on Sunday. We took him to a place called snipits. We were the first people there at 11 when they opened. Good thing because there was soon a line of about 7 kids and only one stylist working. He did not like the idea from the get go and started to cry the minute he was put in the chair. Soon after, he spotted the animal cracker dispenser on the counter. These kept him happy the rest of the time. The stylist said we would find out if his curls were just baby curls or if they would return and he would be curly headed kid. The curls are still there, just shorter so it looks like he will have curls for now. Here are a few pictures from the milestone event.

Spotting the animal crackers

Shoving animal crackers in his mouth - this isn't' so bad!

Such a big boy!

At least Monkey could come to keep me safe from the scissors

Mohawk.  (This picture reminds me of Kevin from Home Alone - AAAHH)

Post haircut curls - helping Mommy make a "grid chez"