Tag: Maria

Poppies and Family | Castroville, Texas

Tagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

This past weekend the boys and I went south for a couple nights. I’ve been wanting to visit Adriana again and especially now when all the poppies in her neighborhood are in bloom. This was the first time I’ve been able to experience them and I loved it! I really wish I had been able to take more photos and just spend more time sitting and looking at them. They are simply gorgeous.

It was nice to spend time with family as well and see more of my nieces, especially the newest one, Pearl. The kids, of course, just play non-stop. And no surprise, William fusses when it’s time to go home.

But now….some poppies. 

A storm blew in later that night so I was glad we were able to see these when we did. Thankfully they all survived the storm and were just as pretty the next day.

This field was huge. So amazing. 

I had to capture a few of Pearl as well. She kept cracking me up with her growling. Seriously didn’t sound like a baby. 

 
And praise the Lord, I am so glad we don’t have these lever doorknobs at home because Lucas learned a new skill. Nothing was safe….soap, toilet paper, the toilet, the outside….

He also practiced his stair climbing, in between eating dirt.

And William happily pulled Maria around in the wagon wherever she wanted to go. It was win/win.

I always try to take Valerie home with me….so sweet! I love listening to her little voice and all the phrases she comes up with.

 

Some highlights not captured on film….Trying to leave on Thursday but turning around halfway there because William got sick in the car…twice. Enchiladas. Lucas rolling off their couch multiple times. Lucas rolling off their back patio stairs. Donuts. Coffee. Sangria. Gummy candy. Late night movies. Lunch with my mom. Mini farmer’s market. Really good times despite my lack of sleep…I made up for it when we got home.

December Days

Tagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

William was so excited about Christmas this time around. He loved the tree even though his interest in putting on ornaments was short lived. Christmas really is so much more fun with little kids involved. Their excitement and wonderment is infectious.

This was Lucas’ first visit to Grandma’s house.

The boys were dressed and ready for Christmas Eve at Grandma’s with all the family.

My brother, James and his wife, Romina were in town for the holidays. It was great they were able to spend time with all the nieces and nephews. I wish we had been able to spend more time with them but with a new baby and not much sleep we were a little worn out and stayed close to home.

Amazing food! I could go for a plate of this right now.

Celebrating my mom’s 70th birthday as well!

 Lucas is ready for Santa!

It was so much fun putting out all the presents after William went to bed. It was also pretty rough since Lucas was up with us and fussy the whole time. We were both exhausted and everything was a mess but seeing William’s face the next morning was perfect!

Matching penguin pajamas! I am so excited I can make this a tradition for as long as they will let me.

We went back to my mom’s on Christmas day for more presents, food and to celebrate Maria’s 3rd birthday.

Adriana made her bright pink ice cream. Tasty and perfect for a girl who loves pink!

Lucas hanging out with his Zio and Zia.

The sleepy parents. We don’t look too bad, eh?

The Sunday after Christmas we had an intimate dinner party for my mom to celebrate her 70th with family and friends. We all enjoyed a three course dinner at Sage Hill Inn. Such a gorgeous spot and the food was divine! 

Almost a month after his birth and we are dressed, looking good and on a semi-date! Woohoo!

It was quite a busy month and I am so glad I was alert enough to take photos to help me remember it all. I feel like it was such a blur after Lucas’ birth. So many good memories made!

October Weekend | Castroville and Devine Acres Farm

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

William and I spent a weekend down in Castroville earlier this month with the sisters and kiddos. James had a busy work weekend so it was a good excuse to get out of the house for some sister time. There was a lot of cousin play time and a trip to Devine Acres Farm for some fall festival fun.

I highly recommend Devine Acres, especially for toddler age. There is a lot to do for all ages but there was definitely enough to keep these two occupied. It’s only 2 hours from Austin and is a great day trip. They have a great little restaurant too and a gift shop complete with scoops of Blue Bell ice cream.

Last fall, William rode in a barrel train, no problems. This year, I thought I could sit out the ride (preggo in a barrel, not so much) but no such luck. Both the mamas ended up in a barrel. I told the driver not to put me into labor. Haha! We had the train to ourselves and the kids actually enjoyed it in the end and wanted to go again.

He was so excited to see a horse up close.

Ah, that sky…..

We couldn’t leave without some pumpkin photos and letting the kids pick out one to take home. William is very attached to his and has carried it around the house. It’s currently in his room. I may have passed on my pumpkin obsession….yes!!!

It’s really hard to get three kids to look at the camera at the same time.

Me and my pumpkins (2 years and 31 weeks). Love his face.

Another fun weekend in Castroville despite the kids sharing a cold and maybe a little lack of sleep.

Looking Back | Fourth Annual Beach Vacation

Tagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Port Aransas trip number 4! This time with two babies and two toddlers and seven adults. The kids may out number us one of these years!

We didn’t stay as long this year and I was a little glad of that. I can’t say I was feeling all that great or getting enough sleep. Some of it was pregnancy related and the rest was just sleeping in a new place. I was also on “mom alert” through the night listening for William who slept across the landing from us in his own room. I shouldn’t have worried, he slept great and in a twin bed! 

We took a different route this time that was through smaller towns. It was a nice change of scenery. This was William’s reaction to riding the ferry.

We were there Sunday through Wednesday (the rest of the crew stayed a day longer) so that gave us two full days of beach time. Monday we went out in the morning until nap time and then on Tuesday we went out after nap time for an evening on the beach. I have to say evenings on the beach are by far my favorite thing.

This was Monday right before nap time….can you tell?

William was still in love with the beach. Being dirty, wet and free. He would just run into the water, no fear at all.

Love this shot of the two kids sitting next to each other.

Nathan and Jessica made some amazing tacos for dinner on Monday night. I wish I could have eaten more….

Girl’s trip to the candy store!

Video games, family and bags of candy.

William found a microphone that went to the Rock Band set so he would come down to the landing and put on shows or we’d hear him upstairs singing his heart out. Best thing ever.

Trying out the community pool and practicing some of what he learned at swim school.

On Tuesday the three of us walked down to the beach a little earlier than the others and had some family time that was nice. It was a little too windy for our umbrella but a little too hot still not to use it so James and I took turns holding it up. Have to keep the boy(s) from burning!

Ahh, beautiful evening on the beach.

Adriana and I bought William and Maria a new shovel and bucket the night before. Big hits! Maria barely put hers down.

Hot dogs for dinner on the beach can’t be beat.

James and William had so much fun playing in the waves. No wonder William slept so well at night.

Jessica took a few photos for us….next year we’ll be a family of 4!!

There was a lot of napping on the beach too.

And some crying. Love this shot.

And a group photo before we headed home on Wednesday.

Ah! Doll baby in the outfit I got for her.

We stayed in a different house this year than the previous two years. It was only one street over and a great rental. I would say it worked pretty well for us but we may need to come up with a different plan for future years until the kids are older and can actually sleep altogether in a room with bunkbeds. With a new baby I am not sure how we’ll all fit next year. It’ll be interesting!

Cousins!!

What a fun trip! It’s great our kids can grow up with these memories. I hope we can continue the tradition for years to come.

Check out my Instagram feed or #chapsbeach2014 for some iPhone highlights as well.

You can take a trip back to the third annual trip here.

Home Improvement and Family

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

James’ dad came to town for a week and they used the time to work on some home projects. There was also plenty of time for some fun.

James was very excited about using his new tools for this project and I was stoked to have a revamped laundry room. This was a project that I’ve had on my list for a while but only recently voiced to James. I forgot to take a before photo so this one is right before they removed the washer and dryer. There was one of those pitiful wire shelves above them that really didn’t afford much storage. It was a sad room. 

Ready to paint!

I really wanted an enclosed cabinet but we were limited on choices because of the lowered ceiling. James actually found this one at Home Depot and it was a little more than I wanted to spend but was the best option for the most space. We saved money though by using leftover paint from our master bath. It’s a Benjamin Moore color, Ozark Shadows. I would have loved to choose a mint or coral color but in the end this is better….I have plans for a few fun prints and what not to dress it up a bit.

I took a quick iPhone photo of the finished room. I’ll do a better one once the cabinets are painted white to match the shelf and I add a few other things to make it pretty. The exposed shelf was a must for me because I didn’t want to open a cabinet every time I needed laundry soap. I also thought it worked better for the dispenser. The guys did a fantastic job and I am so happy with the space now, especially since I didn’t have to do any of the work. It’s a great upgrade!

The laundry room took them about a day and a half so on Father’s Day they spent their time in the garage building a work bench for James. It’s a pretty cool design that folds down when not in use which is perfect for our tight garage. Here you can see James’ new Jawhorse in action along with a few power tools. I’ll have to get a photo of their finished project which they did in one day! Impressive.

In between all the work, there was time for fun too. Saturday was my family’s annual reunion in San Antonio so we spent the day down there. William pretty much stayed in the pool the whole time with Maria, who he was very happy to see. It was a beautiful day and a great time catching up with family when I wasn’t on toddler duty. It’s awesome to see the cousins I grew up with having their own kids now and seeing all our kids play together. I am a little bummed I only took photos on my iPhone and didn’t get any other family photos but my cousin organized a big family photo so I can’t wait to see that.

William also experienced his first pinata. It was awesome. He loved that we gave him a stick and told him to hit something. We ran into a problem though when the pinata broke open. He didn’t like that too much. I think he was bummed he couldn’t hit it anymore. It was still too cute.

The day ended much too soon and we headed home with a very sleepy boy.

Today was a total fun day since it was Opa’s last day before heading home. We started the morning off with a visit to the Cat sales and service plant near our house. We drive by it all the time and William always has something to say about the big construction equipment on display. This time we actually stopped and did a little tour up close. I wonder what was going through William’s head. He seemed pretty impressed.

If you know William really well, you’ll know exactly what he is saying in this photo….”All dirty!”

After the construction equipment we made a quick stop for donuts before heading to Zilker to catch a ride on the Zephyr.

We had to wait a bit for the next train so William had a chance to check out the playground.

We didn’t spend a whole lot of time at Zilker growing up and I am sorry to say I hadn’t ridden the Zephyr before today. I’ve wanted to take William for a while now and was really excited to experience it with him today. He was such a tired boy by the time we boarded, he actually fell asleep for a few minutes on our way back to the depot. It was so cute and funny.

What a full but fun week. I know William loved spending time with Opa and I am pretty sure all the boys had fun using a lot of power tools.

Easter 2014

Tagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I really looked forward to Easter this year. It was the first family gathering since the birth of my niece, Sofia. We all enjoyed being back together, enjoying time together and a family meal.

We started the morning with William’s Easter basket and coloring eggs. Nothing like last minute, huh? I forgot to hard boil them Friday night so we could do it on Saturday. 

I was hesitant to get a bunch of candy for his basket so I opted for a new book, bubbles and a construction toy. He loved the plastic eggs and pretended to crack them open and fry them.

William had fun coloring eggs but I am glad I only did a few. I laugh about how much he loves eggs but only eats them on occasion.

He was pretty proud of his eggs. Love this shot.

He was probably wondering what we were supposed to do now that they were colored and covered in stickers.

We also had to have a practice egg hunt before the real one with Maria later that day. James hid all of William’s plastic eggs in the backyard and little man caught on quick and had a blast. James re-hid the eggs a few more times after that. It was so much fun to watch. Last year he had no clue what Easter was about.

Sunday family dinners at my mom’s house are quickly changing. It went from three newlywed couples to controlled chaos with 4 grand kids added to the mix. I love it. I sat around the dinner table and just took it all in and how much it’s changed in 6 years.
 

New parents!

William loves his little cousins and helping. It’s so sweet to watch how he interacts with them.

And then it was time for the egg hunt with Maria. William was super focused and filled up his basket.

The cheering section….

This is all they would give us for a photo of them together. Silly kids.

Not sure what the guys were playing here but William was interested for a bit.

More Easter goodies from Grandma.

And of course a family photo. My boys are so handsome.

I hope you all had blessed Easter!

A Weekend in Castroville | 11.2013

Tagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Last weekend we went for a two night stay in Castroville with Adriana, Matt and Maria. I wanted to help her with any organizing or cleaning before the baby came and also just hang out. I miss not having them closer. I want Maria and William (and his soon to arrive cousins) plenty of time together as they grow up.

William did 100x better than the last time we stayed with them. He didn’t fuss about going to bed or taking naps which was great. The time change on Sunday did mess him up a bit though and we were up pretty early that day as well as Monday. Sleeping in the same room with him isn’t ideal though with all the noise he makes and then we are like extra careful to not make too much noise either but it works. I am just glad the screaming and crying was at a minimum.

Castroville is such a cute small town and all decked out for fall which I love. We went out Friday night to explore Nite in Old Castroville. Let’s just say it wasn’t First Thursday on SoCo. Still an adventure nonetheless with a sleepy 20 month old.

We were looking for food but all we found was a small trailer so we opted for tacos to go on the way home which were amazing.

I can’t get enough of the historic homes! I would live here especially with that yellow!! I’d be on the porch all the time.

Stopping to say hello to the kittens. I think Maria needs one.

I want to check this place out the next time sans kids. Looks fun!

Friday night I helped Adriana finish up a batch of kolaches while we watched Despicable Me 2. She had the dough and toppings all ready so I helped form and top. They were delicious and actually better the next morning. I had brought a jar of Pumpkin Butter from Trader Joe’s for Matt’s birthday so we broke into it for a few toppings as well. Such a good idea.

She also did cheese and strawberry. They were all wonderful combos and I want to make them again.

William and Maria are quite the pair. Taking things from each other was the theme of the weekend.

For dinner Saturday night Adriana whipped out a couple pizzas.

Maria was a taste tester and helped pat the dough out….when she wasn’t stealing bites. She is just like her mama, loves dough.

After William ate dinner he joined the party and kept an eye on the toppings until cheese came into the picture. Then both of them were snacking on cheese.

Yum! I could go for a slice of this now…..

Sunday morning was very long with the time change and getting up at 5:30am. After a lazy morning (and a little cleaning on my part) we headed off to the Le Chat Noir for brunch in the courtyard. I only took a couple photos on FB and Instagram because I just wanted to enjoy the surroundings, food and people. The food was so delicious, I can’t wait to go back.

Love this shot of them drinking water and eating cereal for snack. William would sneak some out of Maria’s bowl when his was empty. Smart boy.

Looking forward to more time with them this weekend!

Hop on over to the Vignette blog for more photos from our weekend.

A Weekend for Us

Tagged , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Weekends are so much better when you aren’t fighting a cold. Friday we were able to spend time with my sister, her husband and Maria. They came into town for the weekend. Cousin time is very important and they actually play together more now! I love this shot. Adriana is reading the Wheels on the Bus to Maria and William is listening. Of course he found a puppy dog to hang onto.

After nap time we went back to Grandma’s for dinner. Matt and Adriana were in town because some friends of theirs were also in town from Spain where they are missionaries. Her friend, Dziu made Tomato Gazpacho and tortilla with tapas. Spanish tortillas are quite different – egg and potato. More like a frittata. Delicious!

Maria girl is such a hoot! She is so funny. At one point during the evening she was running around with a bucket on her head, yelling bucket! Later on she had a flashlight and was yelling light. Such joy.

Saturday morning I was determined to be productive. My intention was to trim the bushes on one side of the house. Well, I never made it to that side. Instead we cut down a crepe myrtle that was too close the house. It needed to be done and James got to use power tools so it’s all good. William announced it “all gone!”

Sunday was the highlight of the weekend. We invited our neighbors over for brunch so the boys could have a play date. Their son, Conor is 3 months younger than William.

I love to entertain. I love to set a pretty table. I love to cook good food for people. It’s my thing. Sometimes I worry that I do too much and intimidate people but I can’t help it. I just don’t feel right not making it special.

I set the table Saturday night because one, I have an 18 month old and two, it’s just so much fun. I also chose menu items that were easy to prepare or that could be prepared the night before. One thing I hate to have happen is that I am rushed when guests arrive or that I am still cooking. I want to be with my guests, not in the kitchen.

I ended up going with a slightly fall feel on the table. All oranges, reds and browns. I absolutely love fall.

The night before I also prepped all my fruit and made the French Toast Muffins.

On the menu:
Coffee
Mimosas
Fruit salad
French Toast Muffins
Avocado Breakfast Casserole

Ya’ll, I felt so proud with how everything came out. Seriously, it was so delicious. I will be making the French Toast and Casserole again and again. Anyone want to come for brunch soon?

It was a great morning and we had so much fun watching the boys play together. How handsome are they in their plaid shirts and khaki shorts? 

This was exactly the kind of weekend we needed. It was so rejuvenating. Now, onto a busy week! 
Hop on over to the Vignette blog and check out William’s 18 month photos. You’ll want to see these!

Third Annual Family Beach Vacation | Port Aransas

Tagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I had to really think about what number trip to Port A this was. Only three? Feels like we’ve been doing it a lot longer than that but in a good way. I went back to look at the last two year photos and have to post a couple of those first…so much has happened! Adriana and I were pregnant the first year, the second year we had two babies and this year Adriana is pregnant again. Good times. Next year will be a whole different form of chaos.

Our first year in Port A – two preggos! 

Photo on the left is also the first year – 2011. On the right is 2012 with William!

I tried to get him to sit in the same spot for the second photo but he never sits still (unless there is food involved).

Family shot this year.

And now some more beach photos. There’s just a few…

William is a great roadtripper. He slept a good chunk of the way there and back and entertained himself really well the rest of the time. 

We usually eat out the first night we get into town since we haven’t made a grocery store trip yet. The last two years we ate at Shells which is really good. This year we decided on something different – Beaches Cafe. Their brisket is amazing! Like melt in your mouth amazing. It was also a bit more kid friendly than Shells. 

I had no idea how William would react to the water. He loves digging so I knew the sand would be a big hit but I wasn’t sure if the waves would scare him. Our first day out, he gets out of the wagon and books it to the water. He loves it all. We were both so happy and just loved watching him play. Nathan, of course, was great with the kiddos and would entertain them with digging holes, trying to build castles and just being silly.

One of our tasty dinners…slow cooked, pulled pork tacos with Nathan’s salsa.

Our trip coincided with Jessica’s birthday. After a failed attempt to buy cupcakes from a local place, mom whipped some up for a little after dinner celebration.

Collecting shells and sand.

 
I still am not sure how much sand this boy ate. He constantly had a ring of sand around his mouth.

Cider and sausage wraps.

More play time with Uncle Nathan. William is showing off his piece of chalk and bed head.

Maria ooohing over the candy. Maybe I’ll be brave and take William next year.

First candy necklace. I think she approved.

We saved our beach trip until dinner time and instead set up William’s pool on one of the decks before nap time. It was our ‘rest’ day. I think evenings on the beach are one of my favorite things. The light is just perfect. 

I think I’ll be making a print of this photo for one of our walls.

Evening walk back to the house for bedtime. During our morning excursions to the beach, I’d take William back to the house around 2pm for his nap. Well, there were a couple times where he started to fall asleep in the wagon on the way home. He’d start to sway and bob. It was too funny.

Our beach house!

Back on the beach to build a fire.

Fire and wind. Not a good combo but they were persistent.

Our last day on the beach.

All the family at the house. Such good memories!

What a great week. They always go by too quickly. I love that we are able to do this and I hope it makes for some amazing memories for our kids. 

Hill Country Lavender Farm | Blanco, Texas | 06.14.2013

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

We did a little day trip to Blanco last week to check out a lavender farm. James and his dad were off doing their thing so it was just us gals with the kiddos.

We had a nice overcast day that wasn’t too hot. The low clouds and mist hanging over the hills made it feel like Scotland rather than the Hill Country….almost.

The farm was lovely but a lot smaller than I expected. It was still fun to pick a couple bunches and just spend time together. William loved the mud and rocks….of course. He and I were both pretty dirty by the time we left. 

Yes, he eats dirt. 

Comparing shoes.

After the farm we headed into the town square for lunch at Redbud Cafe. It was quite tasty and a good atmosphere for families and kids. The little shop next door, Brieger’s Pottery is a must. Vintage clothes, jewelry, pottery, and fun things from Mexico. Both my sisters picked up some brightly patterned oilcloth for their tables. I found a pair of “garnet” earrings. 

I really do enjoy little day trips like this and checking out new places. And if it’s outdoors, even better. William is happy too!