College Station Egg Hunt

Saturday we attended the 32nd Annual College Station Egg Hunt at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. 

The egg hunt has been around and hosted by the police department since 1982.

The children are given these commemorative wooden eggs in their goody bags.

There are great games for young children to play before the egg hunt begins. We got there early, which was great. We beat the long lines for goody bags, games, and popcorn!

This was a large event. The hunt was broken up into age groups.

And this was the 0-3 age field…lots of people. 

Before the egg hunt could begin, the fire department brought in the Easter Bunnies.

I think Owen was more excited to see the firetruck than the Easter bunny. He waved and waved to them. 

And this little one slept through it all. 

The eggs were not really "hidden".

While we waited, Owen found this good luck charm. 

And then finally, it was go time! And it went fast. It was the craziest and shortest egg hunt I have ever been part of. 

Owen and I got on in there and he was able to pick up about 8 eggs.

Sweet boys.

And as luck would have it, Brittany is friends with the fireman that rode in with the Easter bunny. So we were able to meet him as well. 

It was a fun time with friends. I think we can all check that one off of our Texas bucket list. Next year we will probably opt for our own hunt, but it will definitely be an egg hunt to remember.

Our boys have changed so much even in the past few months. They had so much fun playing together this trip and are really growing up. They truly are buddies.

wrapping up our trip and a 2 month update

I don't think any of us were really excited to hit the road and head back to Texas. That 12 hour drive on the way back can seem daunting. We really made some great memories this trip home. In Owen's words as we were leaving, "but I might miss my family."

Yes buddy, I know that feeling. But we will be back and we have friends that are basically like family in Texas…so we opted to go see them on the way home.

We took the southern route through Baton Rouge and up through College Station, Tx where we made the stop at the Ashleys.

These boys are getting bigger. Owen and Sam play so much differently than they once did. They are little boys now.

It's a good thing Brittany and I have these babies to love on.

 Collin 2 months old, Silas 17 months old.

A quick 2 month update on Collin. He weighed 14.6 pounds at his 2 month check up this week and was 24 inches long. He is really strong and holds his head up really well. He likes to be held so he can see what is going on. He can roll over, he LOVES to be talked to and will coo and make sounds back to you. We love his smiles and he thinks Owen is just the best thing ever. Little guy loves his swing but will nap and sleep in his bed as well. He is pretty adaptable and goes with the flow (much more than his brother did), he slept in his pack-n-play most of the trip which was basically new because Owen wouldn't sleep in it. We have both enjoyed the Ergo carrier this go round. Overall he is a really happy baby and we all love him to pieces.

the Ashleys visit

We had the joy of having the Ashleys visit Saturday. I warned them that Owen wasn't feeling his best, but they loved us enough to come germs and all. 

Owen had been pretty mopey, but his buddy Sam really cheered him up. The boys have changed so much, even in the last year. It is so much fun to hear them play together and enjoy each other.

This was Ty's first time meeting the newest member of the pack.

(don't be fooled, Owen just didn't want his picture taken)

I was so happy to see this friend, particularly on this day. We had a rough time the night before and I hadn't slept much, Owen was sick, Collin had been fussy, David was working and I was overwhelmed. I hug from a friend who knows you and loves in you in your mess, can cure a lot. 

I didn't even try to straighten the house up, there was not time and she loves me anyway…maybe more because we can be real with each other like that. 

I love this one, her sweet baby holding my sweet baby.

Thank you friends, for the lunch you brought, the hugs you gave and the familiarity you provide when we need it most. 

Silas is one

Owen and I were so excited to be able to attend Silas's first birthday party today! Brittany outdid herself as she always does. 

It was a football themed party and she had all of your favorite tailgating dips and taco soup, perfect for football season.

And then there was the cake:

Brittany never ceases to amaze me with her cake making skills! I mean really? I am always so impressed that she can just whip a birthday cake up. She could really go into business.

Instead of gifts for the birthday boy, they asked that friends donate to Water4. Such a neat organization that some of Brittany's friends are involved in.  Water4 is dedicated to eradicating the global water crisis. They do this through a business-based approach at the village level that puts the solution in the hands of the people who need it the most.

Just a few of Silas's buddies that came to celebrate his first birthday.

 We had a great day celebrating with one of our favorite families!

water balloons and piñatas

We took advantage of David's weekend off and headed out of town to see some of our favorite people

and to see this happy face.

The boys loved the water balloons,

and the best part may have been getting the mamas and the daddies.

After everyone was soaking wet, we shifted gears for a little piñata fun.

When Sam turned 3 last month, he had a robot birthday party.

Owen couldn't come to the party because he was sick, but Brittany was kind enough to save the piñata so the boys could have a little robot fun even after the party.

Sam was serious about the piñata...this clearly was not his first rodeo.

And when it came down to the wire, the big boys took a turn...and treats were had by all.

I would like to end the post with a perfect picture, but let's face it. The boys are basically 3 now and this is as good as it gets. But that's real life for you folks.

 Always thankful for our time with the Ashleys, a trip to visit them is as close to home as we can get here in Texas.

welcome summer

We had the pleasure of a visit from these dear friends this weekend,

We love them like family.

The boys broke out the new spiderman sprinkler 

and sprinted through the backyard. 

It was the perfect way to welcome in summer.

first Easter in Texas

This was our first Easter in Texas. A week before Easter, I was beginning to feel a little sad realizing that everyone had family plans and we did not. So David asked me, if you could do Easter with anyone here, who would it be? I was quick to answer these people:

 I was sure they had plans. But after some quick texts back and forth. It was settled that we would do Easter together. We needed family, we needed people that knew us...we needed each other.

This was such a special Easter.

One that we will always remember.

We might have eaten too many jelly beans...

but the sweet memories are worth it.

When we were singing in church on Sunday, I heard a familiar hymn.

We are one in the bond of love;

We are one in the bond of love.

We have joined our spirits with the Spirit of God;

We are one in the bond of love.

That hymn immediately takes me back to Jackson, Alabama. At the end of the service we would join hands to the person next to us and sing this song. I could picture Grandmama and Pop and Uncle Jerry standing with me in church as a little girl.

But how fitting are those lyrics? We are one in the bond of love. 

Through the love of Christ we are family. We are his children, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. He provided us family for Easter. He always provides just what we need because he is our Father. 

It was a beautiful day celebrating our Risen Savior, and I think we will always remember our first Easter in Texas.