Ready or not, here we come!

Texas or bust.

We were lucky enough to fly to Texas and arrived long before our stuff and van made it.  We rented a van and stayed in the Holiday Inn for almost a week and played tourists.  The kids were all smiles by the time we landed and took in the humid air of Houston.

 Eric had already staked out all the good eats and Rudy's was our first stop.  Meat Texas style is served by the pound on a piece of butcher paper.  Sides include creamed corn, funeral style potatoes, baked beans, rice with broccoli and cheese, potato salad, mac n cheese and always, always, white bread given to you either by the loaf or just a few pieces.  Our family was given a loaf.  I wish I enjoyed barbecue food a little more but I am just not feeling it.  The twins and Eric can put it away, especially ribs and brisquet.

For dessert, we inhaled dust that had accumulated in the garage from the previous owner.  By the time we were done cleaning it out, we were all dripping with sweat.  Kennedy said to me, "Mom, I didn't know you sweat in your butt?"  Yes, Kennedy, that's called swass:)

Whataburger is famous in these parts and I would compare it to, well, I really don't know what to because it's not as good as In n Out but it's not as bad as Burger King so somewhere in the middle.  It's open 24-7 so it's a staple.  We weren't all that impressed.

This is the first mail box we have gotten to call our own (although we share the brick stand).  I enjoy driving right up to it and getting my mail. The simple things.

Boston loved hanging out in the boxes and wanted to keep them as his fort but if I had to look at one more box, I was/am going to lose my mind.

The movers used more boxes and packing paper than I care to talk about.  Eric told me to stop complaining about the boxes and paper or else... He reminded me that I had it easy this time.  If you'll oblige me, I'm going to do a little more complaining here about the amount of waste in boxes and paper.  They would put 10 t-shirts in a huge box with paper on the bottom and paper on the top and put layers of tape on it.  They would put a throw pillow in a big box and use tons of packing paper around it.  They boxed up a piece of poster board like it was a fancy mirror.  My personal opinion is that they got paid by the boxes and ran with it.  Ok, I'm done complaining.  It was very nice to have movers and shakers to handle all the stuff I hate doing.

 Jackson was worn out one evening and just crawled under his covers and called it a day.  There was music blaring (and probably me yelling) and he didn't even budge.  Moving is exhausting!

Paul and Laura came over to help us unload boxes and in this case, Paul got down and dirty with Eric to hook up our dishwasher.  What is supposed to be a simple task, is never a simple task.  A couple hours later and we were up and running.  Paul is very patient and methodical and keeps Eric calm in these situations.

Leighton must've had more energy than Jackson because he was still up and at 'em at while Jackson was passed out.

One of the randoms I found on my phone.  A shirtless Jackson carrying my purse.

It wouldn't be a move without a trip to Ikea.  We bought the twins beds and stocked up on baskets and trinkets for the rest of the house.  The deli was the kids favorite spot.

A glimpse of my unfinished master bath, full of packing paper.  I was pretty delirious at this point.  The packing paper kept growing!

The Waffle House is big in the South.  Pretty gross food if you ask me but we had to try it out.

Eric's boss invited our family to his daughter's graduation party and probably got a little more than they bargained for.  He lives on a beautiful piece of property with this gorgeous pool.  The kids enjoyed the break from unpacking and stuffed themselves full of, you guessed it, barbecue.

Friends from Utah gave Kennedy this necklace with some sweet notes and also gave me a necklace.  It has "ut" on one circle, "xo" or "love" on the big gold one and our initial on the other.  Such a thoughtful sentiment.  Amy Moore thinks of everything:)

Eric and I clocked in 18 years of marriage June 8 and we celebrated at Pappasito's with Paul and Laura and their kids along with our chillen.  

Jackson and I were putting his bed together and Leighton took this picture but before the picture was taken Jackson said, "wait a minute, I want to make sure I look buff."  When he viewed the picture for approval he said, "ya, that looks good."

We were just doing our part to keep up the neighborhood.  Do you know what's mainly inside those bags?  Yep, packing paper.  The box spring was the twins.  They broke it day one.  Imagine that?

Boston and Seth (Paul and Laura's son) have become best buddies.  The transition has pretty much been seamless for Boston as he has had an immediate friend to hang with. This day Laura took them to Chick Fila for a little lunch.

 The second week we were here the youth headed to the Houston temple to do baptisms.  It was the first time the twins had gone.  They said it was an amazing experience.  Kennedy said there was a lot of sloshing of water when they were in the font but they were very well mannered for the most part.

Wow.  My kids are growing up.

 These lovely hydrangeas came out of my back yard.  I can't take credit for the beauty of them but I can appreciate them. 

Our neighbor Alina knocked on our door day two and invited us to come swim.  Kennedy hit it off quickly with Alina and spends a lot of time with her.  She's only 12 but loves to play games and swim so that's right up Kennedy's alley.  I think Boston likes having her around because she's cute.

Driving in the Houston rain is not for the faint of heart.  Actually driving in Houston traffic period is not for the faint of heart.  If I never have to get on the freeway again here, I'll be a happy camper.

Kennedy has had something to do almost every day we've been here.  The young women in our ward have gone out of their way to make her feel welcome and even the young men too.  The kids in the ward all hang out together and play scatter ball, volleyball, swim, games, boating, etc.  The Cobb family took her boating.  They have two daughters around Kennedy's age, Elise (16) and Danielle (14) and they are the sweetest.

Cooper (Paul and Laura's 7 year old) shares Kennedy's enthusiasm for board games and they play for hours.  For Cooper's birthday, we got him the game of Life and his mom said it's the first present he wanted to break open.  He's a brilliant boy who can keep up with Kennedy.

There's been lots of drama in the "getting along" department around here.  Jackson is trying his best as you can see here.

My mom took time out of her busy life to come stay with us for a week.  She said she wasn't coming to be entertained but to help.  Ok then.  I put her to work in my sweat shop.  One of our air conditioners was down but that didn't stop her.  She made banquet seat cushions with piping and all, a slip cover for my ottoman, potted my plants, hung pictures, decorated and motivated me to get things done, cooked food, did laundry, you name it.  She has more energy than I and constantly leaves me in awe.  She stayed for a week and I didn't even have to have a baby!  When it came time to hug her good bye, I didn't want to let go.  Thanks mom!

The twins always providing the entertainment.

A smile on her face through it all.

Boston was so excited about his uniform with his tournament baseball team.  They are the Friendswood .45s (as in Colt, the gun).  He took a picture of his uniform and texted them to Dan and Sadie (friends and coach in Henderson).  He wears them well.  In our first tournament he hit a home run over the fence.  Hard to beat the feeling when that happens.

Our relief society president from Utah brought this cute flag over as I was packing up to leave, to always remind me of my friends in Utah.  Love it.

We let my mom out of the sweat shop for dinner and a little nightly entertainment at T Bone Tom's in Kemah.  Kemah has a boardwalk with rides and sits on the gulf.  It's a quaint little tourist trap.

Kennedy is teaching us how to take a proper selfie.  Too bad it's fuzzy.

 Good things come to those who wait...

The food was mainly barbecue but the entertainment was great.  A couple of older guys played the blues with lots of harmonica.  Eric really enjoyed that and I enjoyed the fact that we were experiencing something new and my mom was with me.

My mom taught Kennedy how to properly pot plants.  They work great together.

This pictures doesn't do this place justice but Buc-ee's is the mother of all convenience stores.  This place has shopping carts with cup holders.  We found cute little trinkets for my mom to bring home and I now know where to go if I need something that says, "I love Texas."  The only down side, no Diet Pepsi in the fountain selection.  I have found this to be the case in many places here.  I am a lone soldier in that department.  It's good I can go both ways:)

Grandma was able to go to a couple of Boston's games but missed the home run.  She's sat in her share of bleachers over the years and knows a thing or two about baseball.  Boston loved having her there.  He loves having anyone there to support and cheer him on but grandmas and grandpas are extra special.

Oh yeah,  grandma also plays cards.  She's actually a card shark.  She can shoot the moon like nobody's business.  

Boston attended a three day baseball camp put on by the high school.  He enjoyed every minute of it even though it was hot and humid.  Never once did he complained about the heat.  He soaks it up.  Kennedy and the twins have also been going to a camp four days a week at the high school.  They work out for an hour and a half doing cross fit type training.  Jackson plans to be "ripped by the end of the summer."  Gotta love his ambition.

Thanks to Laura, we were kept in the loop with summer activities that the kids would need to be enrolled in.  Boston attended a week of day camp with cub scouts (although it got rained out 2 of those days) and because Boston received his wolf before we left Utah, him and Seth were in Bears together.  So nice when you have a friend in situations like this.  Boston had a choice one night of baseball or scouts and he picked scouts.  He had a great time and had fun.  That's what it's all about.

One morning I woke up to Leighton making scrambled eggs and waffles.  He had everyone's portion all ready to go and was proud as could be.  He's following in his dad's footsteps.

The twins got their haircut by what appeared to be twins at the local Super Cuts.  They chatted the ladies ears off the whole time.

Came upon the artist and his subject the other night.  #bloodynosewasabonus

Eric said the finished product looked like an African American but was pretty good.  Leighton says Jackson needs to work on the hands.  I think, it's better than anything I could do.  Jackson says he can give me lessons.

Eric walked into a scout meeting the other night in this and it took my breath away and everyone else's.  I told him he wins the award for biggest pair of coveralls.  The really good side of these is that they cover the crack.

Leighton and Jackson taking scouting to a "hole nubba lebel" (that's the HNL).  They went to a scout camp north of Dallas (5 1/2 hrs) called Sid Richardson.  They returned with a new appreciation for air conditioning and mosquito repellant.  We got a call mid week asking us to come pick them up on Friday.  Jackson said he prayed that the mosquitos would leave him alone and by day 3 his prayers were answered.  They saw snakes (like really poisonous one), armadillos, spiders, bugs the size of small rats, and Leighton fell into a cactus and had to have his hand waxed.  I told them what happens at scout camp, stays at scout camp.  I can't handle knowing all this.  It stressed me out.  They passed off 5 merit badges which means we are that much closer to the Eagle award.

Buc-ee's specializes in Beaver Nuggets and we had to see what the rave was about.  Yummy!  We had that bag gone in nothing flat.

 We've had a handyman working at our house the past few week and he invited us to come listen to him sing and check out the "Celebration of America" their town puts on every year the weekend before the 4th.  It was great to listen to Joe (gospel singer) and check out Brazoria and the locals.  This tattoo caught Eric's eye and he asked me if I wanted one just like it (except the Gilbert part).  Tempting.

 We tried out the sausage on a stick and barbecued corn on the cob because that's what we do.  I am pretty tired of eating to tell you the truth.  I've asked my kids if we can just stop eating for a while and they're not on board. Bummer.

The twins are at scout camp so it was just the four of us.  Felt a little strange.  Crazy how accustomed you get to the size of your family.

Kennedy has shown a little more enthusiasm for driving as of late.  We've taken a few trips around the block but Eric got brave and took her onto the main streets including stop lights.  She says dad is much calmer than mom.  Wonderful.  He can teach her to drive.  I don't have the best record anyway.

We found Trader Joe's the other day and it meant we had to fight traffic.  It took us an hour to get there.  Elise and Danielle came along to check out this place that they'd heard so much about but never been to.  We picked up some coconut oil, ginger snaps, basil plant, herb plants and vitamin E oil, and yogurt for Boston and were on our way.  The outing took us about 2 and half hours.  Crazy how traffic can curb your day.  The GPS said it was 21 miles and would take 45 minutes.  The things we do for coconut oil.

Eric, Kennedy and I went for a walk around the junior high track and this sign greeted me.  This changes everything!  I am deathly afraid of snakes (even more than public speaking).  I was on the look out the whole time.  If you want to see me freak out, sneak up behind me with a fake snake.  I will give you a show:)  Guess what we found Sunday night right outside our back door?  A freakin snake!  I hate the word freakin but I hate snakes more.  I may not survive here after all.

I dropped Kennedy off this afternoon for her stake youth trip to Nauvoo, Illinois.  They are spending the week touring church sites, doing baptisms at the Nauvoo temple and participating in a service project.  She was so excited for this experience and all it entailed.  She wasn't even nervous.  All the kids are divided into families and she was lucky enough to get a friend from our ward, Jenny.  The top pic is of a few of the kids from our ward.  There were 4 buses filled with kids and leaders excited to experience life.  I'm glad Kennedy is adventurous and wants to see the world.

Texas has been awesome thus far.  We feel blessed to have found this gem of a community (outside of the snakes) and great neighbors and ward family.  Eric called tonight and asked if I wanted him to pick something up for dinner and it made me happy that (1) he's able to have dinner with us almost every night and (2) I didn't have make dinner.  The main reasoning behind moving was to be together as a family.  I know we made the right decision:)