Natural History Museum

I just love going to the Museum District in Houston.  It's a beautiful area of town....and there is not a lot of BEAUTIFUL in Houston.  It's such a fun place to be.

Read to get in the museum, please!

The Planetarium was our first stop.  I remember LOVING the planetarium as a little girl.  In fact, our high school had a planetarium in Dallas.  So odd now that I think about it!  But....we took field trips there every year and I was fascinated with the stars.  Our trip this year was good, but not over the top.  I can't decide if its because we have so many cool things on our computers now to show us the stars or not.  Either way, check that off the bucket list.  I took my kids to the planetarium!

The boys LOVED the giant squid as we entered the museum.

We went straight to Africa, the boys' favorite {next to the mummies} every time.  This, of course, spawned our desire to watch Night at the Museum again....It was so fun looking at the things in the museum imagining IF they all came to life at night...

A mummy.  JLS is fascinated by the mummy exhibit every time.  They even had a cat mummy.  After I took this picture, I realized we weren't supposed to take pictures. Oops!  So, no pic of the Cat Mummy.

Rocks rocks and more rocks.  After a few rocks, my head starts to roll....even with the gems.  NOT the case for my science-loving kid, JBS.  He LOVED the Rock Exhibit.

Petrified wood....

Fossils and Rocks...

And the always entertaining, Dinosaur exhibit.

The boys wanted pictures of everything!

Thru out the day, the boys kept wanting to have their pictures taken in front of something...the dinosaur, the rocks, etc.  WHS, not to be excluded, asked for me to take his picture...in front of the t-shirts in the gift shop :)

We had a WONDERFUL day!  Can't wait to go back!

And this is how quiet the back of my car was on the way home...

Sweet LITTLE big boys.

Lunching With My Boys

We started off strong this summer!  We "won" tickets to the Houston Museum of Natural Science at our church auction.  I like to say "won"....Babe likes to say "paid for".  Either way, the boys and I headed to Houston to hit the Natural Science Museum.  We have been before, but this time, I wanted to take them to the planetarium.  So, before our show began, we hit Goode Co. for some burgers and delicious onion rings.

It was a big deal for the boys and yummy for all of us.    It's so fun to finally have WHS to the age where we can leave for the day without thinking of nap time and being able to do fun things together.

These boys are sweet little toots and a blast to spend time with.  Museum pictures to come.....

Baseball Baby

So proud of this child.  He was asked to play on a select team when he was 7.  The coach who asked him to play on the 8u team didn't realize he was younger.  JLS had tried out to play "up" on a little league team and made it...which was a bit tricky, as only 3 boys attempting to "play up" made it!  No one ever realized he was a little guy once he made the team.  It was from that team, that he was invited to play on the 8u Select team.

After a season on the team, Babe was discussing with the coach when the appropriate time was to get him back on an age-level team.  The coach had completely forgotten he was younger than the other guys and said, "Never."  He complimented JLS, who typically plays short stop or 2nd base and how he plays at the same level as the older boys and he wouldn't change a thing.

The toot recently turned 8 and I was so excited that he was finally the same "age" and realized that June 30th, we became a 9u team.  JLS can hold his own.  He makes multiple great plays in a game, many times in the most stressful moments.  He never complains, he does what the coach tells him to when he tells him to do it.  He is a dependable team player. He LOVES the game.  And I LOVE watching him play.

I don't want him to get bigger, but I can imagine we will be looking at this picture in years to come and smiling.  Mr. Cool.

Sweet Angel

 The boys and I loaded up and made a trek to Target.  I was exhausted thinking about it, but the boys had money to spend and their eyes on something specific.  WHS, loaded in the basket, was along for the ride.  After we paid out and I was heading to put the basket up, WHS said, "Mom, when we die do we go to Heaven?"  I said, "Yes! That's right, WHS, if you have Jesus in your heart."  I was half looking at him and half paying attention to the other boys when I saw WHS put his head down out of the corner of my eye.  He was in the basket and put his little head down on his hand that was resting on the side of the cart.  I asked him if he was OK and he looked up at me with tears in his eyes, "But Mommy I don't want to go to Heaven!"

All of a sudden we were having a moment at the shopping cart stand.  I couldn't bear to see him cry and over Heaven at that.  After hashing it out, I discovered he just didn't want to leave us.  When I explained that that was probably a long way away and that we would all be together in Heaven, he perked up.

I am not sure I ever thought so hard at 4 years old about the changed Heaven would bring to my life.  This guy is a thinker.  He was really concerned and obviously with mature thinking combined with lack of understanding of the big picture.

This precious little boy makes my life on earth MUCH more enjoyable

Lake, Lake, Baby!

The Boss and the porch...Grammy and Big Daddy's perch at the lake...

Playing on the lily pad proved to be lots of fun.  Really relaxing for the adults until the kids joined us :)

Lucky Paul as Mr. Clampitt on the golf cart ride to the pool.  The kids' favorite place to be in on that golf cart!

Pool Time

Living on Lake Time is wonderful.  Pool, eat, nap, boat, eat, nap, walk, nap, eat.

 Grammy and Vin..

Striking the new pose. WHY? oh WHY does everyone pose like this for pictures now?

Grammy and Me...

Fishin' Fishin' and Fishin'

We headed to the lake on Thursday morning. All the boys love to fish, but JLS is obsessed with it.  He would fish all day if time permitted.

Caught a Bass...

WHS getting special BD training in how to hold the rod and how to fish properly...

 A few minutes later, a fish!!

 BD requires a kiss of the fish for good luck before we throw them back...

 Back to Cool Hand Luke...

so many fish.  so many hours.  so much fun.

B-Ville Fun

Babe brought the boys' bikes to Bville with us.  There is a great path all over town called Pathfinder.  Babe and JLS hit the road and went on a bike ride...

Mona was lucky enough to come with us.  We left her alone with a dog sitter a couple weeks prior and she ran away and destroyed my pantry.  She is a people person and really had to be with people.   The minute we started packing the car, Mona was IN the car and she was NOT leaving.  Lucky for her, she was a part of the plan.

When we arrived, Mona was SO excited to be at her Grammy and BD's house:)  I am not so sure that Sally was as thrilled, as every time we turned around, Mona was sleeping on Sally's beds...

Sally stayed as far away as possible from all the noise and excitement.  She is used to a quiet house and being alone and sleeping until 10am and eating alone and getting attention and....

By the end of the trip Mona and Sally were friends....but when Vin's dog arrived, that was a different story.  Mona was raised on the streets.  She's tough.  Vin's dog, Gracie, eats a gluten-free diet with ranch dressing on her food to tempt her to eat.  Mona gets Old Roy.  They just don't have much in common.  We don't know for sure, but Gracie could have called her bad names right before Mona attacked.  If someone called me a hussy, I would attack, too, right?

Either way Mona and Gracie are not going to be BFF's.