Sea World

We decided to take a small trip to San Antonio to go to Sea World and the Alamo. You would think that a trip to Sea World would be more for the kids but in all reality it was more for me. I love sea life-always have. If you were with me the first time I ever saw a Dolphin in the wild, then you would remember my scream of pure joy. I still have that enthusiasm. There was a recent trip that we took to Galveston Island, here in Texas, and each time I saw a dolphin from the ferry I would let out a very excited sound and finally little Daniel asked me to stop screaming in his ear.

Our first day at Sea World ended sooner than we wanted due to the remnants of Hurricane Dolly. We could have stayed, Sea World is open rain or shine, but with two kids it makes for one miserable experience. Day two was beautiful and not a drop fell from the sky. We were there for 12 hours and my poor sweet boys had the most droopy eyes and tired bodies. We had a fun full day of animals, rides (Lendl went on his first roller coaster), swimming, food, shows and much more. A lot of pictures were taken with a waterproof camera but here some other pictures we took.

This is us in front of the Shamu stadium.
Though attendance was low on day one, we still enjoyed the Shamu show. Such amazing, beautiful animals.
Daniel and I came to this Sea World 8 years ago. There was a brand new baby beluga whale just born and it was great to see that she is performing now and is also expecting a baby of her own.
Nothing like sitting in the splash zone.
I couln't help but watch the boys faces throughout the shows.
Though there was a wall, little Daniel was determined to touch a bottlenose dolphin. He is leaning so far over that I am holding him so he does not fall in. His efforts payed off because he was able to touch one.
We watched a 4d show about pirates. It was a lot of fun, even when a swarm of bees came at us. However, there were too many things that scared Lendl and he ended up screaming toward the end of the show. Once we took his glasses off, he was all better.
One of many rides that we went on.The great Alamo.
The back side of the Alamo.

My Friend, My Brother

I just want to tell my brother Nick how much I love him. He is such a great example to me and I cherish our relationship. For those of you who do not know, Lendl Patrick was named after Nick, whose full name is Patrick Nicholas. Thanks Nick for being such a great brother and a great friend. I love you!

Dirt! Dirt! and More Dirt!

We have been working on our landscaping in the front and back yard. That is definetly a difference in being a homeowner verses a renter. We have always taken care of our yards but to actually spend money on plants and dirt and trimming trees, well that is a different story. However, the results have been very satisfying and rewarding as we drive up to the house. So this dirt is actually a 60/40 mixture of clay and sand which is used to build up a lawn. We had 12 yards of it dumped in our driveway. If you do not know how much 12 yards of dirt is, take my word, it is A LOT! Over a months time we spread it out over low spots in the front and back yard. Grass is growing through the dirt in most places now, but I would imagine it will take some time for our yard to be normal again. The boys had a blast playing in their huge sand box and when the last of it was spread in the back yard, we let them have one more good play and now it is hands off. As you can tell from the pictures, they loved every minute of getting dirty! Maybe one day I can share pictures of the end result but for now I have to wait as the grass slowly grows.

Gone Fishing

We decided to spend a quiet day relaxing and being "still". We have very limited experience fishing but had a great time. After zero success on the dock, we thought we would try again in the water. Daniel did not give up with the fishing pole but Lendl thought he would try catch one with a net. Still no luck but that did not discourage the boys. They had a blast! We will catch one next time!

Swim Lessons

Little Daniel took 2 weeks of swim lessons this summer. He has always loved the water and I personally feel that swimming is one of his natural talents. These were his first swim lessons and he did so well. He was nervous at first because parents were not allowed to stay (but not as nervous as mommy leaving him). However, when I picked him up after his first lesson he said, "Mommy that was so awesome". The day of his last lesson parents were allowed to watch and take photos. He learned a lot and his breast stroke and back stroke improved so much. Way to go Daniel!

In memory of Bailey

Our sweet cat Bailey died on Tuesday, July 8, 2008. She has been sick for weeks and after being hooked up to an IV all weekend and then having exploratory surgery, the vet discovered how sick she really was. She has been part of our family for 10 years. She was a great cat who loved being around us. Our other cats viewed her as a mother figure. We love her and miss her.

Being Family

Many of you know that my sister-in-law Ashley, is battling cancer. She is married to one of Daniels older brothers, David. We have been seeing them a lot over the past 6 months as they travel to and from MD Andersons Cancer Center in Houston. Last week they were with us in Beaumont for a few days and then we went to their home in Cleburne, Texas to spend July 4th. Daniels sister Sara was also in TX to visit David and Ashley, so we were able to see her and finally meet our niece, Alyssa. We always have so much fun with them and are so grateful that we have other family in Texas.

The cousins trying to stay cool in the Beaumont heat.
Getting wet at Rogers Park
We stayed up until 1:00a.m. playing games. Doing that for several days in a row took a toll on us old folks. Thank goodness for Davids pool. We spent many hours swimming.
Aunt Sara, Alyssa, and my handsome boy Daniel.

Enjoying our July 4th feast.

Who needs McDonalds.

Lendl enjoying the wind in his hair. Daniel lighting fireworks.

Lendl wasn't sure of all the booms at first but he warmed up quickly enough to run around with a sparkler.
Ashley kept the twins close but it was her hubby that needed watching. David, how is the burn?
All of us enjoying a nice day at a park.

Nate, Daniel holding Alyssa, Lendl, Daniel Jr., Stone, Eli, Mary Elizabeth, David.

Sonja, Sara, and Ashley.

TAGGED!

Thanks Denielle.

3 JOYS
1. The gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. Spending the day doing something fun with the family.
3. Nature. Beautiful sunsets, cloud formations, mountains, beaches, lakes, animals in nature, etc..

3 FEARS
1. My kids getting hurt, in anyway.
2. Not being prepared.
3. Bees, wasps, basically anything buzzing in my ear.

3 CURRENT OBSESSIONS/COLLECTIONS
1. Books. I want to have a huge library in my house one day.
2. Checking all doors and windows to make sure they are locked. Even if Daniel said he has done it, I check anyway.
3. Blogging. Instead of Everybody Loves Raymond reruns, I am on the computer.

3 SURPRISING FACTS
1. I was born in the bathtub.
2. I hate to cook but love to eat.
3. I am Andy Garcias biggest fan.

TAG 5 PEOPLE
1. Arien
2. Alisa
3. Monica
4. Noelle
5. Kelly

TAGGED AGAIN!

Thanks Arien.

1. Post a picture of your favorite room in the house. This originally was number 7 but I downloaded in the wrong order. So this is our family room. This is where it all happens. We play in here, watch T.V., visit, have F.H.E., etc...

2. Post a picture of your sink as it looks this very minute. Okay, usually my sink has dishes in it but I cleaned the kitchen before putting the boys down tonight.

3. Post a picture of your toilet. I am not of fan of bathrooms and find this a strange request, nonetheless, here is a picture of the toilet in the master bath. This is the cleanest due to less frequent use from the boys.

4. Post a picture of your laundry room. Some clean, some dirty. 5. Post a picture of the inside of your fridge. I know it is bare. I would like to tell you that this is abnormal and that we just got back into town but this is usually what it looks like, well, with more milk in the fridge and ice cream in the freezer.
6. Post a picture of your husband/kids and what they are doing right now. Well, by the time these pictures were downloaded the boys were asleep but before I started this blog, this is what was going on. BEDTIME. Little Daniel falls asleep very quickly but Lendl is a fighter so he got an extra book.

7. Show is your favorite shoes. If my nail polish were fresh I would show you my feet. I prefer going barefoot but since I need to show shoes...
8. Show us a picture of your closet. We actually have 4 closets in the master bedroom. Ridiculous I know. The others are used for storage.
9. What is my dream vacation? Honestly, this is a hard one. I have been to many beautiful places that I would love to see again. Really, anywhere with a beautiful beach or taking a few months to backpack through Europe.

10. Post a self portrait, as you look now. Okay I cheated on this one. Lendl took this of me yesterday. We had just gotten home from a weekend with family and he got a hold of my camera. He loves to take pictures. I know, I know, I am SO photogenic.
I tag: Denielle, Maren, Nannette

Happy July 4th!

This is a beautifully harmonized rendition of our national anthem, sent by a friend. I hope it moves you like it moved me and reminds you of how proud we should be for our country. Have a great 4th of July!