A Day at Zilker

Spending a Saturday morning at Zilker Park is definitely on my top 10 list of favorite things to do. We start by walking around Town Lake, which is something that Sam and I have loved to do since we met in college. Charlotte does great in the stroller since there are so many puppies and babies to look at. She says "Hi Ocean!!" to the lake the entire way around (at least 100 times). She loves to go over bumpy bridges and under tunnels. We stop halfway to feed the ducks, turtles, birds and swan which is her favorite part. After our walk, we head over to the playground to play. This particular Saturday was hot, hot, hot so Sam did one of his favorite things... swam in Barton Springs! Such an Austinite :) No way I'm getting in 68 degree water no matter how hot it is outside!! Even Charlotte didn't like it, and I have never seen her turn down swimming for cold water! He stayed to go for a dip while Charlotte and I enjoyed a nice, warm, breezy train ride around the park. What a perfect family day!! Oh, yeah... and then we stopped at County Line Bar-B-Q ont the way home to make up for all of the burned calories. Yum!!!!!

Ice Cream Man!

So, the ice cream man was so much fun just to watch go by for most of the summer. Until one night when Papaw came for dinner. Charlotte heard the music and ran to the front door yelling "Ice Cream Maaaaan!" as usual. We told her she could go out to wave and Papaw said with his sad brown eyes, "Well, does she get anything from him???" So her daddy reluctantly approved a $2 all natural no sugar added strawberry popsicle and off they went. What a treat!! And of course, she has never forgotten. Teaching a 19 month old that the ice cream man is just for special days and not every day is a hard lesson to teach :) Here are some pics of the adventure.

Mom doesn't love his shady white van.

First bite!

Waving goodbye as he went back by

Wild woman after she got some sugar in her (most of the popsicle ended up on the dress, which explains why she's naked as usual!)

Jump!

Her latest dance move

Blog-a-thon....

OK everyone... after my most faithful blog reader (aka Pops) reminded me that I am terribly behind on the blog, I have been motivated to catch up. After a nice 11 hour sleep last night, I think I am up for it!! I am going to attempt to blog every night for 1 week and hopefully will at least be into October by then. I am also motivated by my little darling's precious pumpkin patch pics that I am dying to blog but I am too OCD to go out of order :)

So, here goes! First up is my wonderful 30th birthday celebration with my family. Charlotte and I headed up I-35 on Wednesday night as Lauren and her bunch were headed west from NOLA at the same time. Football season had officially begun so we had to leave Daddy behind. We all arrived at Nana's around midnight-ish with 3 sleepy babies and 1 wild Owen!!! He was so excited to see everyone and just could not stop giggling until he passed out. It was so adorable. We had a fabulous but exhausting weekend running the goof troop around town, they are a handful!! Nana made one of my favorite dinners for my birthday - Chop Suey, yum!!! Vinny and Lauren hosted the best 30th birthday party ever at Uncle Vinny's new digs!! We are so proud of him and his great new house in Arlington. He has a gorgeous pool and we spent lots of time enjoying it! Jordan and Lofton came to help celebrate, it was so great to see them as it always is. Vinny grilled burgers and Nana brought all of my favorite sides. Nana kept us well fed all weekend! We finished off the weekend by baptizing sweet Hannah and Everett. They looked so darling in their special little outfits. Everett wore his godfather, Uncle Vinny's baptism outfit, and Hannah wore a beautiful dress hand made by our friend Rose. It was a beautiful ceremony followed by a lovely party at Kathy and Fred's house. It was sure hard to leave, I wouldn't mind spending every weekend with my sweet family. I miss them tons.


Breakfast time on Thursday!

Charlotte LOVES her baby cousins

Playdate with Shelley's boys

Auntie and her boy

Charlotte inspecting and kissing on her sweet cousin after way too long!

Love this pic, could they be any cuter??

Stare off!!

FUN at the splash park!

Runnin'

Silly girl

Pretty Hanny and her pretty mama

Charlotte "borrowing" a complete strangers bike, she's not shy!

I love this girl.

Goofy kids

Mother hen

Birthday dinner!

My favorite... best birthday guests ever!

Bath time! Thank goodness Nana has a big bathtub!

Breakfast time! There is nothing better than bebe jammies.

Nana sent us to "water the flowers" after breakfast. Ha, you can see what it turned into.


What Mom?? We're just a little wet!

Love this pic. Nana offered them a lollipop at 10am. Wow. We're clearly on vacation!

Classic Ev

Hannah helping in the kitchen

Everett, Charlotte and Lofton sunbathing on the step

My little fish... this picture reminds me how HAPPY she was in the pool!

Nana and Owen relaxing after nap time... notice the fun decorations in the background, so sweet!

Charlotte pushing "baby Lofton" in the stroller, she doesn't realize they are only 4 months apart!

Fun!!!

Baby duty :)


Pops got the easy job! He loves snuggling his grandbabies!

More babies in pj's!

Baptism ceremony at Most Blessed Sacrament

Uncle Vince and Everett - two handsome boys!

Parents and godparents with the babes

Precious Hannah

Terrible pic but the only one I got of Charlotte with her sweet cousins. Hannah is down to her slip but still looks darling!

I loved Kathy's decorations

Pretty (and yummy!) cake