A fun weekend yet again!

This weekend Texas A&M's Vet school was hosting an "Open House" event with a petting zoo, exhibits, and more. Check out a few of the things we saw...
This is Radar, the world's largest horse. He stands 21 and 1/2 hands high! Want to see how tall that is???
Pretty stinkin' tall!!
And just around the corner from the world's largest horse...a miniature DONKEY! The sign next to him said not to stick your hands in because he thinks your fingers are carrots. Ryan got a little scared and decided to keep several feet away!
A kangaroo!! In the petting zoo!! She was so soft and Ryan loved petting her. My batteries ran low so I didn't get a good one of her petting it.

And on the way out...dandilions!!! : ) Chris and I tried to show her how to make a wish and blow--Ryan said, "Blow away flowers, blow away" rather than actually blowing on them! It was very cute!

Just a little political

I've never been huge into politics, but I like to vote--especially for President. Chris and I have been pretty into the Presidential election this year. In Texas, you have a chance to actually vote in the "primary" twice (often known as the Texas Two Step)--once in the general primary and then later that night you can caucus. I did that and somehow became a delegate. Yesterday was the county convention caucus where we had to vote yet again to send on delegates to the state. Check out the nearly 700 people I was with to support my candidate....pretty cool to see the process at work and be a part of history. : )

And no, I'm not making a big deal about who I'm for in the election--everyone is entitled to their own vote and who am I to say that you need to vote like I do? May the best person win....

Ry's new room

Here we go, as promised--pictures of Ry's new room. We decided to do something a little more "calm" than the bright pink and green we'd had in her room. After searching far and wide for a new comforter we liked, Chris and I were in an adorable restaurant in Huntsville which was decorated with a kind of "shabby chic" style and I just loved it--that was the inspiration for the room. We moved the dresser where the ABC cards used to be (I LOVE those and hated taking them down, but we repurposed some--in frames by her bed!)
Megan (Chris's mom) bought the new bedspread for the room and we picked the color from that (Celtic Gray)--which is a little blue-ish and gray-ish together. It looks GREAT on the walls and put together the rest with just stuff we already had around the house--a low cost renovation! : ) Ryan also LOVES it--the day after we painted and such, she spent SO much time just playing by herself in her "new"room. She kept saying to us,"This is good--this is good" when we asked her if she liked her room. Again, well worth the effort!

The bedspread is that Celtic Gray stripes with small soft pink and a little darker pink flowers between them. It is one of those soft quilt types that instantly feels like you've washed it a hundred times--perfect!!

Easter

Happy Easter to all of you (late of course!) We had such a nice weekend--great weather, great time with the family--it was perfect!

We spent Friday painting Ryan's room and redecorating--pictures to come: I forgot to take photos before she went to bed tonight! It looks so darling and she LOVES it! Then Saturday Chris and I put together a swingset for Ry for Easter--it was a great deal at Toys R Us. We had planned to get a hand-me-down set from a CSISD employee, but when we really added up the cost of the wood and swings and ladder and more that would need to be replaced, we figured we couldn't beat a deal of $380, an Easter special, ($350 when you get the Toys R Us card!) and the 10 year warranty. The store opened at 10am. We walked in at 10:08 and got the last one! So anyway, we slaved away for the sake of Ryan and I'm so glad we did--she LOVES her "playground"! Here's the finished product. On Sunday after church it served as the backdrop for and great hiding spot for eggs! Then she and Daddy decided (ok, really Chris, but Ryan got into it some) it would be a fantastic idea to roll the eggs down the slide and try to get them into the Easter basket (until Duncan got ahold of one and ate the marshmallow bunny inside) OOPS!!
(I'll just save that one for a little later....)
Ok, this picture says it all--worth every penny, every swear word, and the sunburn and blisters--look at that face! Our angel~we are so blessed.

We hope your Easter was as great as ours--Hugs from College Station!

Spring Break/Easter Yay!!

We sure have had a nice spring break--ok, so maybe starting out with tonsilitis and a sinus infection (that'd be me unfortunately) and the pouring rain were not the best start, but we got to hunt easter eggs with the cousins, play at Chuck E Cheese (hey, the pizza isn't TERRIBLE and the games were fun), and shop, relax, read, and get a ton of stuff done around the house. It's been nice and relaxing, which we really needed. Chris said just yesterday, "only 9 weeks left" (of school that is, until Summer Break) and I have a feeling with Good Friday off, a staff development day in April, our trip to Iowa for Gramps and Grams 65th wedding anniversary and final exams that will fly by! Check out some of our spring break pictures:

Hmmm...this pink one must be mine...

Omie helping Kyle with his eggs!

Ry loves her Omie and Happy!

Chilling with cousin Brandt...

Happy, Ty and Barrett--aren't they adorable!

Chris and Ty into the games at Chuck E Cheese

Just like a kid again--p.s. I beat Kimber in a head to head snowmobile race...oh yea!



Everyone into the games!

It was great to see everyone and spend a little time together. After we got back, we cleaned house, cleaned closets, shopped, read books and enjoyed some time spent together. Chris won his next to last district soccer game against the number one team in the district (Temple) 5-2 to clinch a playoff spot which was great--way to go Tigers! We'll be back at school tomorrow, so I guess the fun is up--at least for now! Hope you all are doing well also and have enjoyed some great weather like we have!

SNOW!!!

Real, honest to goodness, big flake snow--College Station TX, March 7th (the day before spring break!) I can't believe it! The kind where you go--holy cow, why didn't I freaking bring my camera with me just in case-snow. It's pretty crazy--we've had sleet, ice, messy stuff, but never big fat flakes for as long as I can remember and I've lived here for 13 years now. Pretty cool--Ryan was with Chris going to get donuts and I could hear her on the phone--Mommy! It's snowing right outside my window--see?!?! Ahhhh....spring?

We hope all of you have a safe and blessed week--we are looking forward to heading to Mom and Dad's ranch near Boerne where we hope to hunt eggs with the cousins and (if the weather will cooperate) go to the San Antonio Zoo which has just been updated and sounds very very cool. But until then, we'll likely have a crazy last day before spring break with the students and then freeze our booties at Chris's soccer game tonight--GOOOO Tigers!

P. S. Maybe we could make sno-cones---I always wanted to try that! : )

And for dessert.....PUDDING!!

This priceless moment brought to you by Snac Pac--the official pudding of messy kids everywhere. (wow, she really loves that stuff--surely there is some nutritional value? calcium or something? right??)

I hear you...

It's been a while, and I've heard you guys--post something new! Sorry--we've been a little behind on nearly everything this past couple of weeks!

Last weekend we did take some time for fun though--Ryan got a new soccer ball and we decided to take her to Veteran's Park where Chris's games are being played this year since our school's field is out of commission for upgrades. SHE LOVED getting that ball in the back of the net--a natural forward in our eyes! Check out some of the cute pictures of our little soccer star:

We also had fun on the little playground near the fields. It was Ry's first time to climb up a "rock wall" which she though was pretty cool!

All in all, we've sure appreciated the recent good weather and time spent together (and healthy!)