Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friends, Fun, and Florida
We've had a great couple of weeks visiting some wonderful friends. It started MLK weekend when the Schwantners from Coppell came to stay with us while they cleaned house and settled the estate of Stephanie's grandmother who recently passed. Jackson is one of my very best buds from our time in Dallas, and he and I had lots of fun together. Both of us love cars, and he slept with me in my Lightening McQueen room. We also had fun helping Mom make brownies and playing outside with the soccer ball and in the sandbox. Mom got some "baby time" too holding Jackson's sweet little sister Abigaile. Our next visit with friends took us all the way to Orlando Florida! Dad had a conference scheduled for work there this week, so Mom and I flew in early with him to enjoy a little vacation. Our trip started with a visit to Disney straight off the plane. Jodi's friend Tom, an official "cast member", escorted us in the gate and gave us a quick tour of all the fun new things Mickey and gang are planning. We spent the whole day at the Magic Kingdom and it was magical! My favorite rides were driving the cars (of course) and the Pirates of the Carribean, but I was most enamored with seeing Mickey, Minnie, Pooh, the Princesses, and all the others in the "Dreams Parade." Mom and Dad let me pick our my own souvenir in the gift shop on the way out--I chose a toy replica of the monorail, as I thoroughly enjoyed our fast train ride through the Disney resorts to and from the parking lot. The next morning we were invited to lunch with the Parrots and Hinshaws at the Hinshaw home--a beautiful Florida home overlooking the water. It was wonderful playing outside in the beautiful weather with the kids--David, Pamela, Cassie, and Matthew. Maria and Lina fixed a delicious lunch, and Mom and Dad had lots of fun remembering old times with Orlando friends. We headed back to the Marriott to do some swimming and lounging before our big night out. Dinner Sat night was at the home of Joey and Peggy with guest chef Jodi! The ladies prepared a wonderful meal of lamb, eggplant, and many other delectables. We once again ate poolside, enjoying the lovely Florida breeze. I conked out early with Sophie the dog in Joey and Peggy's bed so Mom and Dad could continue visiting. We had a leisurely morning on Sunday, then met the Toccos for lunch near our old hood. I had lots of fun coloring with Sophia at Jason's Deli in my new McQueen coloring book the girls brought me. After lunch, we drove over to our old house. Bob's truck was out in the driveway, so we stopped in to see the neighbors. Bob and Gloria looked great, and I even got to pick some fresh Florida citrus from their trees outside--it was an experience I'll never forget! After a quick visit to see Scott and his family, including new baby Mack, we spent Sunday evening lounging by the pool at the hotel. What an enjoyable trip! We hope to always stay in touch with our wonderful Florida friends! Thank you all for a great vacation.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
The Great December 2008
I guess it's probably time I catch you up with our very eventful December. It started rather sadly with the death of my Great Uncle Fred in Del Rio. He was a wonderful family man and played a large part in my parent's lives, most memorably with his and Joanna's contribution to "The Fiesta", mom and Dad's lively wedding celebration. Dad ate his first cabrito courtesy of Uncle Fred. He will remembered fondly by all who knew him and missed greatly. His funeral was just as he would have wanted it--a celebration of life. We had a grand party, and I got to know many cousins I had never met before. I had lots of fun riding around in Aunt Joanna's tricycle with my big cousin Jake, including "pushing" baby cousin Radley in the basket. Later in December, I celebrated the holidays with my school class. Mom helped organize the party, and we had lots of fun eating cookies, decorating gingerbread men, and playing pin the nose on Rudolph! We spent Christmas day in Woodville. I must have been a good boy this year, because Santa brought me exactly what I asked for--a Speed Racer Mach 5! He also gave me a cool new Hot Wheels Race Track. Due to their Colonial Tour of Homes, Grandmother and GrandDandan only had time to put up a small Christmas tree, but that was ok because they let me decorate it with Hot Wheels! I had lots of fun playing with James and Claire with all my new toys, especially the Hulk boxing gloves. I don't know who had more fun, James and me boxing, or James boxing with Dad! It's also a toss up between who enjoyed my new Zimbos game more, the kids or the adults?! My December party continued with the arrival of Grandma and Papa to Houston to continue the Christmas Celebration. Once again, the Toyota sleigh arrived bearing many gifts. My favorites included a light up Lightening McQueen jacket (which I wear every day), a pair of remote control race cars, and a jungle playground complete with monkeys, snakes, and all the authentic jungle sounds! They also gave me a cool bike that attaches onto Mommy's big bike. We ride it everyday along the bayou and to the park--it's so cool! To top it all off, we brought in the new year celebrating Grandma Pat's birthday with an ice cream birthday cake! We had so much fun showing our MO Grands around Houston, from the Museum District and riding the train around Hermann Park, to tooting around and underground downtown, finishing up with ice skating at Discover Green--what fun! The new year certainly started with a bang with Ole Miss winning the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Mom and Dad met Aunt Laura and Uncle Reeve (a Tech Alum) for a showdown at the last Cotton Bowl ever at Fair Park. The Rebels surprised the Red Raiders with a win in the highest combined scoring and largest attendance record in Cotton Bowl History! Go Rebs!!! Hope your 2009 has started as well as ours--we look forward to seeing you all soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)