My Favorites...

I just drove back from El Paso yesterday after a three day visit with family and friends. I was able to spend time with four of my favorite people in the whole wide world.

This is Eliza. She is my sister's 17 month old little princess and for three nights she was one of my roomies. I already miss her sweet babble and her stories. She's a lovely story teller.



This next picture is of Nicole (and my brother). She's my brother's oldest daughter. She'll tell you she's not a little kid any more...she's five. This little girl is smart, sweet and so funny. We have some pretty good verbal sparring. She totally understands sarcasm and can joke like a champ.

On Tuesday I accidentally called her a very bad name in Spanish. Being bilingual she knew what I called her and said she was going to call the cops on me. On my way out of town I visited my friend Diana and told her what I had called Nicole. She started laughing and said I had called my five year old niece a b!@#h. Oops.

Note to self: Don't use words in another language that I'm not completely sure of the meaning.



This is Natalie (NatNat). She will be three in September and for an almost three year old she already knows what she wants in life...whatever her brother or sister have. Making this girl laugh makes my day every time.



Then there's Joey. He'll be one on Sunday. He makes my heart melt.



I love these four kiddos with all my heart. I also love that they all have parents who would walk through fire for them.

Suitcase already coming out again...

A small one anyway. This time the destination is El Paso. I'm leaving on Sunday and coming home on Wednesday. It's not quite Hawaii but there's some pretty special people I'll get to see once I'm there.






I'm really excited to see family, old friends and to be in a place that has Taco Cabana. I love me some TC. The only thing I'm not excited about is going to El Paso without my number one...




John has only been back to work for a week since our vacation so it's probably not a great time to take more time off.

This will be my last trip of the summer before I go back to work. I think summer needs to put on the brakes a bit so it can last a little longer. I have more relaxing and non-tanning to do.

I'm getting a pedicure today...I LOVE pedicure days. Hope your day is a happy one.

Texas Part 4...the end of Texas Trip

Saturday was full up with activities and fun fun fun! So that meant on Sunday when we got home we were exhausted exhausted exhausted.

I don't have pictures of everything we did on Saturday. We went out on Mom and Dick's boat...twice. The first time was with all the babies and the second time was with the older kids. I'm including John and me in with the "older kids".

The best thing about the second trip was riding in the raft while being pulled by the boat. John and I laughed the whole time. Then I rode it with my brother and Nicole. She was giggling the entire time. It was really cute.

Riding the jet ski was pretty cool too. We spent awhile out in the lake and I only got a mild sun burn...sweet.

Here's the girls striking some poses in their swimsuits...



Here's the babies...playing? It kind of looks like Eliza is about to take off with Joey's toy...



I think this is about the coolest t-shirt I've ever seen on a baby...



This is my Aunt Nita. She had been wetting everybody with the water gun and needed refuge under the table. She was mainly hiding from my uncle.



Uh oh. It looks like plans are being made for some more water attacks...



I guess when you're sixty your birthday lasts all weekend. Present time. Jen found those pretty earrings from James Avery.



It was a great but tiring weekend. We need to do this more often...at least twice a year. It makes me sad to think how long we go without seeing each other.

Texas Part 3...

At around 7pm on Friday the first of the bambinos arrived...Eliza. I haven't seen her since last year around this time. I know, I know...I'm a very bad auntie. Isn't she cute?



My mom aka Grammy has seen her a lot more than I have so Eliza warmed up to her pretty quickly. Here she is in the kitchen getting some Grammy love...



Soon after my sister, Stephen and Eliza got there, my brother and his family arrived. Here's my mom and Dick with two of AJ's kids, Nicole and Joey.



At the beginning of the bambinos being at my mom's house, the little ones weren't too keen on me holding them. Right after this picture was taken Eliza wiggled her way off of my lap...



John then took a picture of me with a baby who didn't mind being held...



Mom and Dick were geniuses for getting this swing installed. All of the kiddos LOVED it...



Here's AJ with Joey. They have two very different expressions on their faces...



Natalie (NatNat) and Adriana. Natalie is bilingual. You speak to her in English and she responds in Spanish. Her favorite word is "Si."




Not in the face Nicole...



We saved opening presents for Saturday but Friday night we showed Mom a video we made for her. You know the kind, pictures from her life with sentimental quotes interspersed...that was all there. We also put three jibjab videos in it. This was how Mom's video ended...



After the video was over Nicole says to me,"I had big chichi's." I was a little shocked. Apparently she knows about "big chichi's" because she then told me,"My other grandma has REALLY BIG chichi's."

Texas Part 2...

So we got to my mom's house in the hill country outside of Austin on Thursday and officially started our mini vacation. I always feel very relaxed and comfortable there.

That evening my mom invited long time friends Jan and Roger over for cocktail hour. Here's the girls of cocktail hour...



The boys...



After cocktail hour Mom and Dick took us to their country club for dinner. Very nice place. John and I don't get to go to too many places with cloth napkins.



Here's me with my pile of chicken...



The next day (Mom's b-day) John and I stopped with Mom at a peach and tomato stand after our grocery shopping trip. A peach and tomato stand...how delightful.



Then Mom wanted to play a domino game. I lost. Big time. I think I had messed up my karma because I was winning after the first two rounds and I gloated...a lot. I think I may have even called everyone "Loser".



We still had some time to kill before everyone else got there so the remote controlled cars were brought out...





Me with the Birthday girl...



One thing you'll notice in parts 1 and 2 is that we're sitting down a lot. There wasn't too much of that once all the little bambinos (kiddos) got there...

Texas Trip Part I...

Since I'm currently a woman with time as a luxury I thought I'd take you through our whole trip to Texas (well, most of it anyway).

Thursday morning we were off to Texas for a four day weekend to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday.

Here's John before we got on the plane...



I should get him to take a picture of me at take off and when we land...I'm even whiter than usual. I'm not scared AT ALL of flying. I just feel so nauseous every time at the beginning and end of flights.

I've never had to use it but I always make sure I have one of those special bags in the seat pocket in front of me.

Mom and Dick took us out to eat after they picked us up at the airport. Food and non moving always does me good after a flight. John was excited about it too...



Here's picture number 5 out of over 200 from our trip...



Here's number 6...



John and I got Mom and Dick all to ourselves until Friday night at about 7pm. That's when my sister, brother and their families got there. That's also when the relaxing part of our trip ended...I say that with love.