LONG Weekend

On Friday night, I asked Lexi if her ears were hurting because she seemed to be crying over every little thing. She said yes and proceeded to point to both ears. I knew that this Memorial Day Weekend was going to be a LONG one. I wouldn't say that it was completely torturous for me, but I made sure to call the pediatrician first thing on Tuesday morning. They confirmed it. She was developing an ear infection. The kids are back on antibiotics.

Other Easter Dress

Yesterday, I dressed Lexi in the dress I had originally bought for Easter. She ended up getting two since we stayed in California longer than planned. Here are the pictures I took before church.

Beach Club Saturday

Since summer is quickly approaching and the weather is already HOT, we headed to our community beach club this morning. The kids had fun and quickly got worn out, but cleaning up the sand all over our house is something that I am NOT looking forward to. Perhaps, we'll stick to the other water attractions. Lexi did have a lot of fun though as you can see in this video clip:

Last Day of School

Thursday was Lexi's last day of school. I can't believe it is over. It was a great year. The goal was for her to have fun while I get some work done and that was definitely accomplished. She made friends and absolutely loved her teachers.

Her teachers told me that she is very advanced and believe that when she gets to school, they will want to have her skip at least one grade. I don't know how I feel about that. Kids grow up too quickly as it is.

Bye to Dad

On Monday, Steve's boss asked him to go to San Antonio to help wrap up the construction of a huge hospital they are completing. He will be working 12 hour days, 7 days a week for the next 4 weeks (give or take). Before leaving on Wednesday, we went to Lexi's school so that he could say goodbye to Lexi. It was quite a sad departure. Of course, we're planning to go visit him.

These pictures were taken earlier that day (before school).

Smiling for the Camera

Taking photos of the two of them has recently become a lot easier. Not that it is easy, but it is easier. Jordan is actually posing with Lexi sometimes.

Mother's Day Fairies

Last week, Lexi learned all about mothers and mother’s day at school. They made posters and painted on a pot. She was so excited, but managed to keep it a secret (only letting me know that she had a surprise for me).



We spent Mother’s Day Weekend working on house stuff. On Saturday, we rented a storage unit and started taking stuff over there. Steve took Lexi with him for most of the trips on Sunday. While running back and forth, they stopped and picked up cards and flowers for me. It was so sweet. Lexi kept saying, “Lexi and dad are mother’s day fairies.” She got that from Steve.

Nature Sanctuary

Yesterday, Miss Amy invited us to the Houston Audubon Society's Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary, where they have a learning hour for kids who are 2.5 to 5 years old. The lady started by explaining a few things about turtles to the kids, then they read books, and got to see a few turtles. They also made turtle hats and then took us on a walk to see real turtle in the sanctuary. After it was over, we went on a little walk through the trails.


Making a Turtle Hat



Feeding the Turles

Found a Turle on our Walk

Carlsbad Caverns

One of the highlights of our trip home was the time we spent at Carlsbad Caverns. As you can see, Lexi enjoyed listening to the taped tour message. She thought the darkness of the cave was a little scary, but mostly fun.

Road Trip/Ramah Cemetery

One of the main points of interest on Grandma Margie's travel agenda included a trip to a tiny little speck on the map called Ramah, which is near Gallup, New Mexico. It was her mom's home town and the place where she was burried. This place is loaded with family history for us. It seems strange to call it a town when there isn't even one traffic light in the settlement. The sign above recognizes one of my Grandmother's brothers, Ken Mangum. Her parents and most of her siblings are in the same little desert cemetery with her.

By Grandma Lorena's Grave

Settling Down

Butterfly Lexi at SeaWorld

A few days ago, I asked Lexi what she wanted to do before we head back to Texas. She said watch the Elmo 4D movie again. Then, Jordan started chanting, "Emo, Emo, Emo!" I knew that we had to make time for another trip to SeaWorld. We only stayed a few hours, but we made an effor to see the Dolphin Show, Shamu Show, and the Elmo Movie with a few things in between.

Manatee Tank

Orka Tank

Waiting for Shamu

Waiting for Elmo 4D Movie

Butterfly Face

As everyone knows, Lexi LOVES having her face painted. Every time we went to the Zoo, the Wild Animal Park, or SeaWorld, she wanted to get it done. Grandma kept telling her she would do it at home. Of course, we all forget when we are at home. This morning, however, Grandma remembered. She painted the kids' faces before we headed off to SeaWorld. They both enjoyed having thier faces painted.

Sunset on Pacific Beach

Last night, Papa Malcolm and Grandma Margie took us to the beach to watch the sunset.


This way, no this way


Have to have a silly face photo

Beach Time

The weather had been so great the last two days. We definitely had to go to the beach. Here are some pictures and a video from this morning:

Breakfast on the Beach

This morning, Lexi and I got to do something we haven't done since we left Miami. We got to eat at a cafe on the beach. Grandma Margie, Papa Malcolm, and Aunt Paige took us to Kronos on Pacific Beach. It was wonderful, even though San Diego is always colder than Miami. After eating, we went down to let the kids play in the sand.