Bluebonnets!

Spring in Texas means one glorious thing- Bluebonnets! The state's national flower starts blooming in the end of March when it starts getting warm and after a few good rain showers. They are in full glory right now and so anyone who grew up in Texas remembers- it's time to go take pictures! Every April we'd get dressed in our Easter outfits and go find a field (or more likely, since they like to grow on embankments, pull off the side of a busy highway) and plop down in the beautiful blue flowers in the glaring sun and take 1000 pictures.

Obviously it was a priority for this spring with the boys.

Damon found a good patch behind his doctor's office so we went out the other night- and the 'golden hour' gave us the best lighting for a couple good pics! Hudson was not in good form (he never is these days) but we managed!

Ellis Is 3!!!

This is about a month and a half late, but I know if I don't write about Ellis turning 3 I (or he) will be sad later in life about it. Or maybe I (and he) won't even care. But I feel like I'm failing in some way by not blogging regularly about our life cause I don't journal or record things anywhere else... Anyways, rambling, this is about Ellis

A few months back Ellis got a little obsessed with the Vocal Point recording of Spiderman that I've had for oh, 8 years or something. So when we started looking for birthday ideas (because we couldn't NOT have a birthday party since we are here in Texas with family- I'm not really a party thrower for the kids yet, but my parents were really insistent that this was THE year for Ellis to have a party!), he immediately wanted Spiderman. I tried to show him a cartoon episode. He wasn't interested. So clearly, he didn't even know who Spiderman was, nor did he care. Nonetheless, Spiderman theme (well, kinda comic book superhero theme) it was!

We had so many friends and family come, it was so special and fun, and Ellis had a blast! The bounce house that my dad rented for him was a hit with big and little kids! The food was easy and the cake was great (thanks Costco!) Best of all were the fun decorations- all my mom and stepdad's doing- they spent hours and days and weeks painting and building and hanging and making their whole backyard a party place!

Hud in his Super Hero getup!

 Jake and Ellis

 Party time!!

 Derek came by! So good to see him and to have Kristi and Morgan come down too!

 This picture makes me laugh so much cause Niko's mom was my best friend when I was little- we met in 4th grade and we were about these same colors, so it's funny now to see our little boys next to each other!

 Ellis and Grandpa and silly string (Spidey web!)

 Super Dad!

 We opened presents after all the friends left and Ellis was spoiled!

 Super Oma!!!

 And the day ended with some pizza and a good round of cornhole!

Ellis loves telling everyone that he's 3 and he sure is growing fast! He's getting so tall! He says some funny stuff and unfortunately repeats a lot of what we say too... He loves Frozen and the song that shall not be named.  He also loves the park and being outside and he has a deep voice and is so fun!

The Time I Resurrected Our Blog

There is absolutely no way to catch up on 7 months of blogging, so I don't think I'll even try.
I'll just sweep it under the rug and act like it never happened- that's a pretty good adult way to handle things, right?

Here is a random smattering in no particular order of a few pictures from the last 6 weeks.

Ok this one is not from the last 6 weeks, it is from August. My niece Eden got married and we got this amazing shot of the whole family minus only 2 grandchildren (who were out on missions (though one has a life size cutout in this- can  you spot her?) and one Brother in Law who was on a trip that had been scheduled long before the wedding... Amazing. 2 parents, 21 siblings and spouses, and over 45 grandchildren

Our amazing cruise Damon's parents generously took us all on for their 50th anniversary- parents, siblings and spouses for an amazing week away. A HEAVENLY trip and these stingrays in Grand Cayman were so fun!

Some of the group that took this tour

This past weekend we went out to my mom and stepdad's lake house. Or what used to be a lake house but is now a quarter mile from the lake (drought). It's the perfect spot to fly kites now!

Making Valentine cookies. Mostly just eating it all.

Damon's new bike he got for Christmas (thanks all the parents!) and the beginning of prep for Ironman 2020

More stingrays. The water was gorgeous and unbelievable!

Dress up night.

This kid gets his love for chips and dips from his mama.

This was just from this afternoon! It's been perfect weather here, around 75 today, so we've spent lots and lots of time on our amazing porch!

These are a couple of shots I took in Washington during Christmas time that I'm addicted to. Can't wait to blow them up and put them on a wall!

Hud at the Thinkery (Austin's new renovated children's museum- it is awesome!)

They loved the water room- of course!

There you go, a random of recents, I'll be back soon with more- Ellis is having his first birthday party this weekend so hopefully we will have lots of pictures from that- how is he 3?!??