Spring Break / Texas!!

We are back from our spring break in Texas! Following are a few of the highlights!

Look closely at the skin on our hands in these 2 pictures..... this is the most forceful air dryer I have ever encountered in a ladies bathroom!!!! They really want your hands to leave dry... please leave the skin on them though!

Above is a truck stop south of Wichita Falls where we made our 4th and final stop before arriving in Arlington......

287 South to I-20 and next thing ya know we are in Arlington - whoppee!

Our first day in D/FW...... Luke and Brooke messing around on Bonnie and Larry's back patio (that Bonnie built)... I told Luke "Dude, your underwear is showing" and look what those underwear said!

Brooke and Larry having a serious talk on the swing.......

Our 2nd day we went to the F/W Museum of Science and History only to find out they were renovating... so, off to the F/W Water Gardens. 4 people died at the bottom of this water garden in 2004 and 2 in 1991. Luke was a little scared........

We each had buddies... Nikki and Brooke, Jason and Brandy (I know - they got along?), and Me and Luke....

I just love this picture!

Luke is crying here - scared :(

This is a store on the way to my old neighborhood... shocking!











Larry built a double decker treehouse and 2 swings coming off the tree for his grandkids... the kids loved it!

Day 3 we were off to the F/W zoo... talk about a zoo... I think there were at least 3 million people there and it was in the 80's that day... we only stayed for 4 hours - it was hard to get close enough to see the animals! These very thin, long necked and long thin legged creatures were in with the antelopes... no idea what they are but they were amazing to watch on those thin legs!!

So, day 4 we were in Irving and went to the Galleria and did a little ice skating and then some shopping..... it was very warm on the ice.... Brooke either fell or sat down enough times that her bottom was completely soaked!

Brooke was melting down by this point... she just wanted to eat so it was up to the 2nd level to find a very posh McDonald's! The Galleria has 3 levels and then the bottom floor where the skating rink is.

Day 5 brought us to the Dallas Aquarium. We got to feed the birds blueberries. They take them so gently!

Jason and Nikki at the Sloth Crossing... I am not insinuating that they are Sloth's.

It was fun being surrounded by sharks!

The shark to the right is what she is looking at in amazement.... he was smiling at us.... I think he was smiling about dinner....

Love the picture to the left! He is not so afraid to be surrounded by the brightest flamingos I have ever seen!












amazing what you can find lurking around the Aquarium!



I finally got to visit my first IKEA!!! Did I mention I LOVE this store! The kids had fun there too.... apparently the Smallville for kids has a 6 kid limit so I didn't get to enjoy the shopping experience minus children.... they enjoyed it too though :)

This reminds me of Goldie Locks and the 3 Bears... Too Little, Too Big, Just Right!











We passed this very large cross on Hwy 40 in the Panhandle of Texas... after I snapped the picture I realized this is where the pictures of Jesus carrying the cross in various positions had been sent from... all around the base are statues of Jesus carrying the cross.... I would like to go there some day and actually stop and see it.

Welcome home to Colorful Colorado!!!! Now just 6 more hours to Castle Rock to meet Drew and visit cousins and Grandpa!

Waiting on the park bench at the Castle Rock outlet mall to go find some new shoes and the ONLY shot I got of the girls (and Luke) performing for us that night.... they did an AWESOME job!!!

Arrived home about 12:30pm on Sunday! So glad to be home.... no traffic, no mega shopping centers..... home sweet home!

Check this out.....

So, I went to Walgreen's last night cause my friend Jeanne told me they had a coupon in the EasySaver(ES) for the Starbuck's chocolate (truffles) and they had a $1 off mfg coupon at City Market (blinkie) so I got 4 pkgs of Starbucks truffles that are usually $6.99/ea for $1 ea!!! They were on sale for 2/$10 and the Walgreens ES coupon was $6 off of 2 = 2 for $4 and then the $1 each got it down to $2 for 2!! so, I got 4 for $4!!! Then, the Garnier shampoo was on sale for $2.99 and there was a $2 off coupon in the ES and I had mfg coupon for $1.00 on each... got shampoo and conditioner for -.01 each!! Then they had the Aquafresh toothpaste for .75 cents with store flyer coupon and I had a .55 off mfg coupon so I got the toothpaste for .22 cents!!!! Total was $5.50 after $1.28 in taxes - too bad they had to tax me on the whole amount before coupons! It would have only been $4.20!!!

So, that was my exciting night at Walgreens!!! Jason was with me and he was impressed!!! THANKS Jeanne for scoping out the chocolate deal and teaching me to stack coupons!!!!!

I also paid $51.76 for $131.22 worth of groceries last night using coupons and Safeway club card!!

Brooke is such a card!

So, this morning I am getting ready for work and my pants are a little tight around the waist so I "borrowed" one of Drew's sweatshirts so you can't see the "hangover"... Brooke says, "mom, that is dads" and I said yes it is. So, she wants to wear one of my shirts. I told her any of mine would be WAY too big for her but she could go get one of sissy's shirts.... so, she let this morning wearing her own shoes and pants, Brandy's shirt and hat and Lukes hoody! And she took with her Brandy's stuffed Webkinz... but her own blanky :)

Then, we are on the way to Rhonda's and she told me (again) that she wants to try coffee. So, I hand her my cup that only has a little bit left in it. She takes a sip and says "that's tasty"! Tasty - where did she come up with that? Then she tells me when we get home today she wants a cup of hot chocolate and then a cup of coffee...... can you say BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS?

That's all for today - I just didn't want to forget that moment..... and with the sieve of a mind I have these days I would have by tonite.

Skipped Right Over February as Usual!!

Every year we get to Jason's birthday toward the end of January and I think I have a couple months til Brandy and Luke's birthdays.... and just like every other year it has snuck up on me and is almost here! What stinks is that spring break always falls the week after their birthday so having a party for them the weekend after their birthday(s) is out cause no one is around! That means this weekend is it and I haven't gotten invitations made out yet! They both want a sleepover so our house will be a little noisy/crazy this Friday night/Saturday morning!! I have already told Jason he should find someone to spend the night with!
I LOVE this picture of Luke - he looks like an alien or something!!

Brandy has some things (crafty) for the girls to do and Luke and the boys can play sports on the Wii!

I think after this year there will be one birthday before spring break and one after!!!!! What was I thinking? Oh yeah - brain is on permanent vacation!


This is an ice formation (looks like it should be in a cavern) in our driveway.....





I finally got to meet my twin neice and nephew who were born last October 7th!!!!! They are just adorable and big brother Louis is getting soooo big! He was working on riding his bike when we arrived....