So, I just made a decision and I'm going to throw all of our Texas stuff into one long, totally entertaining entry. Sorry if that's annoying. It's my blog and I'll do what I want.
Zilker Park
Austin has this huge city park that has a natural spring pool, canoeing, botanical gardens... you name it. Zilker Park was our first weekend venture into the big city, and we weren't disappointed.
London got her first Sno Cone at the Zilker Cafe
Quit eyeballin' my Sno Cone, woman!
Bran was a little overly excited.
I think it was the heat.
There is a little train that you can take for a ride around part of the park. (not for free, of course. That would be ridiculous.) London was a little weary of it at first, but once we got going, she loved it. Here she is waving to all her many fans.
They also a little section of the park that has various, massive metal and wooden xylophones.
London enjoys making a drum out of just about anything, so she was in her element. She's our budding musician/rock star.
The official Zilker Fire Dept. truck--
Buggie Boo to the rescue!
Buggie Boo to the rescue!
L saw this gentleman making balloon hats and toys for a bunch of kids and had to have one of her own. She was all over the idea until we got within 5 feet of the guy, then it was all over. He was so good with her and made her the perfect balloon accessory for a 2-year-old: a ladybug bracelet.
Wheeeeeeeee!
There was so much to do at Zilker, we could have spent the entire weekend there. However, after only 2 1/2 hours, the heat had done a number on us and we were spent. We only scratched the surface, but we had a great time. L passed out as soon as she hit her carseat.
Visit from Grandma and Grandpa (and Ari)
In June we were lucky enough to have Grandma and Grandpa Fairbanks come for a visit. And, for an extra treat, they brought my niece, Ariana, with them. London was very excited to have another kid around to play with and, despite their age gap, they played together very well.
One of the first things we did when they got into town was take the girls to get their hair cut. It was London's first time visiting an actual salon and, as you can see, she was NOT a fan. Good thing we were only getting her bangs trimmed.
Ari, on the other hand, did great.
Not that we expected anything less.
The final product!
Of course, we spent a lot of time enjoying
the cool of the pool in the hot, hot Texas heat
The little ladies made a fabulous mess
making fabulous crafts
making fabulous crafts
One fun-filled Saturday started out with a trip to the Austin Farmer's Market. There was a lot of interesting food (all organic, of course :) ), music and shopping. I expected it to be a place to get a lot of great, fresh produce, but it really wasn't. There was some produce there, but it was mostly food, jewelry, plants, etc. It was really fun (and WARM).
L savoring some homemade root beer
Ari found her refreshment in a smoothie
The fam.
I think Bran was a bit tired of posing for this shot.
We took it about 5 times and never got L smiling.
Grandma, Grandpa, and Ari
Some random picture Ari took
L savoring some homemade root beer
Ari found her refreshment in a smoothie
The fam.
I think Bran was a bit tired of posing for this shot.
We took it about 5 times and never got L smiling.
Grandma, Grandpa, and Ari
Some random picture Ari took
After the farmer's market and a nap, it was dinner time! One place that you MUST hit any time you're in Texas is Rudy's for some excellent Texas BBQ. Get a pound of the extra moist brisket, some cream corn (trust me, you've never eaten anything like it), and throw back a cream soda in an old school glass bottle. Seriously. You'll thank me, just like we thank Stefan and Jennie. :)
Yuuuuuuum!
Sweet baby girl sharing her corn with Mama
Ari digging into a spicy rib
My mom thinks my dad is as special
as the rest of us think he is :)
My husband is more special, however.
Ari and London
Grandma and her girls
Schlitterbahn
Or as Brandon liked to call it, "Schlitterwhatever." Sadly, we actually didn't take any pictures at Schlitterbahn, but we had such a great time that I still have to mention it. I think it was one of the highlights of London's summer. She still talks about it. Schlitterbahn is this massive waterpark in New Braunfels, TX. I'm not going to ramble on about the details of the park b/c if you're really that interested for some reason, you can visit the website (or Schlitterbahn itself, which I highly recommend). We didn't get to hit any of the real attractions since they're too big and scary for a 2-year-old, so I was surprised that we all genuinely had a blast. There were enough little slides for London to go down, though not by herself, mind you. We sent her down one small one on her own and she was traumatized.
Dance Class
We signed L up for a little dance class at the rec center. It only lasted a couple of weeks, but she loved it, even though she was a little shy.
Swimming Lessons
We also signed L up for swimming lessons. She learned to blow bubbles in the water, paddle with her arms and kick her legs. She's not too keen on going under or jumping in the pool, but we're getting there. Sadly, we didn't get any pictures b/c the only time that other parents or whomever were allowed in to take pictures/video was the last day of class. Of course, she was sick that day and we had to miss out.
Round Rock Express
Dell was kind enough to send the interns and their families to see the local baseball team play. It was actually a great game. I think we left at the 5th or 6th inning and they had hit something like 8 homeruns.
You can't really see it on her face,
but she got really excited anytime
there was a lot of clapping going on
First hotdog at at a baseball game.
We ladies getting our glam on the next morning
Happy Birthday, Sea World San Antonio!
20 years old
Gearing up for our first show
She was definitely impressed.
During the show it started to POUR.
If you enlarge the picture, you can see how much it rained.
It only subsided for short periods of time.
It turned out to be a very wet day. Extra fun, right?
The fat man (um, that term made me think of Paul Winkleman) doing some sit-ups
During one particularly bad bought of rain, we decided to catch some lunch.
So did the rest of the park. We stood in line for a loooooong time.
Barely holding on to consciousness.
By the time we actually had our food, baby girl was out cold.
She slept on me for probably a good 45 minutes.
I can still eat a meal and hold a sleeping child at the same time.
Go me.
We sat on a tabletop under an umbrella to attempt to wait out the rain,
but it wasn't going anywhere. Fortunately, a lot of the patrons were.
We were in our swimming suits anyway, so we just decided to get out and get wet.
Hands down, the best part of the whole park was the dolphins.
They have this huge pool where you can
sit at the side and wait for them to swim up to you.
You can even feed them if
you're there at the right time (and want to pay for it).
We probably stayed there for a
whole hour and just watched them.
They're so playful and gentle. Amazing.
Not sure if you can really make this out. It's hard to take a picture when the subject is in the dark and behind glass. If you look closely, you will see a Great White coming at you, teeth bared. It was seriously unnerving to be standing there, watching it creep closer and closer. We had to have a lot of faith in the glass.
London went on her first amusement park ride.
It was a teacup-type ride and she wasn't sure about it at first
(tried to climb out, screaming, actually),
but once it got going, she loved it.
In honor of the Fourth, the park had fireworks after sundown.
While we were waiting for the show, a band was playing.
L took to dancing in the street and thoroughly entertained everyone around us.
After fireworks, we rushed to catch the last Shamu show. Before the show started, they played music and kind of had a dance off in the audience. It was 10:00 and L was tired. This means she was crazy and hyper. She was SO into the dancing. If she hadn't been 2 feet tall and they would have seen her, she definitely would have won.
We got excellent seats way up in the front. Definitely in the splash zone. You might wonder... is this a good place for a 2-year-old? At first, I would have said yes. What better way to experience Shamu than front-and-center? Then the splashing started. Cold. Salty. Constant. We did not have a happy camper on our hands. She was terrified. I turned her around and clutched her to my chest and Brandon tried blocking her with his body. At this point I would have said no. Splash zone is NOT a good idea. Then the end of the show came. All she could talk about was how she got splashed by Shamu. Big smile on her face. The drive home -- talked of nothing but being splashed by Shamu. The weeks passed. Had to call Grandpa and tell him about Shamu. Earlier this week she brought it up. We hear about it often. So, was it a good idea? Definitely.
Yuuuuuuum!
Sweet baby girl sharing her corn with Mama
Ari digging into a spicy rib
My mom thinks my dad is as special
as the rest of us think he is :)
My husband is more special, however.
Ari and London
Grandma and her girls
Schlitterbahn
Or as Brandon liked to call it, "Schlitterwhatever." Sadly, we actually didn't take any pictures at Schlitterbahn, but we had such a great time that I still have to mention it. I think it was one of the highlights of London's summer. She still talks about it. Schlitterbahn is this massive waterpark in New Braunfels, TX. I'm not going to ramble on about the details of the park b/c if you're really that interested for some reason, you can visit the website (or Schlitterbahn itself, which I highly recommend). We didn't get to hit any of the real attractions since they're too big and scary for a 2-year-old, so I was surprised that we all genuinely had a blast. There were enough little slides for London to go down, though not by herself, mind you. We sent her down one small one on her own and she was traumatized.
Dance Class
We signed L up for a little dance class at the rec center. It only lasted a couple of weeks, but she loved it, even though she was a little shy.
Swimming Lessons
We also signed L up for swimming lessons. She learned to blow bubbles in the water, paddle with her arms and kick her legs. She's not too keen on going under or jumping in the pool, but we're getting there. Sadly, we didn't get any pictures b/c the only time that other parents or whomever were allowed in to take pictures/video was the last day of class. Of course, she was sick that day and we had to miss out.
Round Rock Express
Dell was kind enough to send the interns and their families to see the local baseball team play. It was actually a great game. I think we left at the 5th or 6th inning and they had hit something like 8 homeruns.
You can't really see it on her face,
but she got really excited anytime
there was a lot of clapping going on
First hotdog at at a baseball game.
Sea World
For the Fourth of July we headed on down to San Antonio to visit Sea World. I knew London would enjoy it, but she ATE...IT...UP. We still hear about it. Good choice, Bran. You're a pretty top-notch pop. :)
The day we were supposed to leave started out a little rough. Around 10 am I tiptoed into London's room to see if she was still breathing since I hadn't heard a peep out of her. She was just laying in her crib staring at me. She was covered in sweat and shook like a leaf when I picked her up. She spent the morning sleeping, watching movies, and puking. Poor baby. :( I was afraid we'd have to cancel our big trip, but by the time Bran got home from work, she was running around like a maniac, eating anything she could get her hands on and talking non-stop about Sea World. (She does this every once in a while... minus the Sea World part. Isn't that weird?) So, off we went.
At the hotel London was pleased do discover they had included
a little backpack of goodies for her in our room.
The most loved toys were her jacks and her "lida-skote."
We were all pleased with the super-yummy
cookies and milk they brought for her at turndown.
And they left this on our bed so Brandon could feel important. :)
I was all about the chocolates, which were Cummings... Utah's finest.
a little backpack of goodies for her in our room.
The most loved toys were her jacks and her "lida-skote."
cookies and milk they brought for her at turndown.
I was all about the chocolates, which were Cummings... Utah's finest.
We ladies getting our glam on the next morning
Happy Birthday, Sea World San Antonio!
20 years old
Gearing up for our first show
She was definitely impressed.
During the show it started to POUR.
If you enlarge the picture, you can see how much it rained.
It only subsided for short periods of time.
It turned out to be a very wet day. Extra fun, right?
The fat man (um, that term made me think of Paul Winkleman) doing some sit-ups
During one particularly bad bought of rain, we decided to catch some lunch.
So did the rest of the park. We stood in line for a loooooong time.
Barely holding on to consciousness.
By the time we actually had our food, baby girl was out cold.
She slept on me for probably a good 45 minutes.
I can still eat a meal and hold a sleeping child at the same time.
Go me.
We sat on a tabletop under an umbrella to attempt to wait out the rain,
but it wasn't going anywhere. Fortunately, a lot of the patrons were.
We were in our swimming suits anyway, so we just decided to get out and get wet.
Hands down, the best part of the whole park was the dolphins.
They have this huge pool where you can
sit at the side and wait for them to swim up to you.
You can even feed them if
you're there at the right time (and want to pay for it).
We probably stayed there for a
whole hour and just watched them.
They're so playful and gentle. Amazing.
Not sure if you can really make this out. It's hard to take a picture when the subject is in the dark and behind glass. If you look closely, you will see a Great White coming at you, teeth bared. It was seriously unnerving to be standing there, watching it creep closer and closer. We had to have a lot of faith in the glass.
London went on her first amusement park ride.
It was a teacup-type ride and she wasn't sure about it at first
(tried to climb out, screaming, actually),
but once it got going, she loved it.
In honor of the Fourth, the park had fireworks after sundown.
While we were waiting for the show, a band was playing.
L took to dancing in the street and thoroughly entertained everyone around us.
After fireworks, we rushed to catch the last Shamu show. Before the show started, they played music and kind of had a dance off in the audience. It was 10:00 and L was tired. This means she was crazy and hyper. She was SO into the dancing. If she hadn't been 2 feet tall and they would have seen her, she definitely would have won.
We got excellent seats way up in the front. Definitely in the splash zone. You might wonder... is this a good place for a 2-year-old? At first, I would have said yes. What better way to experience Shamu than front-and-center? Then the splashing started. Cold. Salty. Constant. We did not have a happy camper on our hands. She was terrified. I turned her around and clutched her to my chest and Brandon tried blocking her with his body. At this point I would have said no. Splash zone is NOT a good idea. Then the end of the show came. All she could talk about was how she got splashed by Shamu. Big smile on her face. The drive home -- talked of nothing but being splashed by Shamu. The weeks passed. Had to call Grandpa and tell him about Shamu. Earlier this week she brought it up. We hear about it often. So, was it a good idea? Definitely.
Another Grandma and Grandpa Visit
Grandma and Grandpa Sewell decided to make a road trip from Utah to visit. I was a little nervous that it might be a little uncomfortable at times hanging out with the in-laws while Bran was at work, but it really wasn't. In fact, they were heaven sent. I was in the throes of my first trimester, so I pretty much wanted to lay there all day. They were so great with London and really helped me out a lot.
Of course, we hit Rudy's while they were in town
(please ignore my mother-in-law's shiner...
she thinks she's a professional cage fighter :) )
Grandma and Grandpa played LOTS of games with L.
Here she is learning to play War.
Story time with Grandpa!
Grandma and Grandpa are always good for new books.
Playing peek-a-boo in the pool
Working on her tan
Here we are on a walk around the lake at our apartment complex.
Of course, we hit Rudy's while they were in town
(please ignore my mother-in-law's shiner...
she thinks she's a professional cage fighter :) )
Grandma and Grandpa played LOTS of games with L.
Here she is learning to play War.
Story time with Grandpa!
Grandma and Grandpa are always good for new books.
Playing peek-a-boo in the pool
Working on her tan
Here we are on a walk around the lake at our apartment complex.
Happy Birthday, Bran!
While his parents were in town, Brandon reached the big 2-9. It seems that people like to get all mushy about their spouses on their birthdays and make massive lists about why they are wonderful, etc. Here's mine:
Brandon Elliot Sewell is amazing because:
Grandma hogged ALL the ice cream
"Happy Birthday, Daddy... you gonna eat this?"
While his parents were in town, Brandon reached the big 2-9. It seems that people like to get all mushy about their spouses on their birthdays and make massive lists about why they are wonderful, etc. Here's mine:
Brandon Elliot Sewell is amazing because:
- He only wears Johnston & Murphy dress shoes
- He taught me how to make hot chocolate properly
- If it weren't for him, I would still think that Jello is a dessert, not a side dish
- He refuses to wear bootcut jeans
- He flosses like a Nazi (his oral hygiene is top-notch)
Grandma hogged ALL the ice cream
"Happy Birthday, Daddy... you gonna eat this?"
Feeding the Ducks at the Park
Chuck E. Cheese
Where a kid can be a kid!
Anytime we drove to Dell or to HEB (the rockin' grocery store), we'd pass Chuck E. Cheese. London had no clue what it was, but she knew that she wanted to go there. So, one Monday night for FHE we indulged her. It really was everything she had hoped, and more. And, given what it is, the food really ain't TOO shabby.
Random Shots
London used the nets from her Elefun game to put
the gingerbread men from her Candyland Castle game to bed.
Trying on Dad's shoes. Not sure where the pants are.
Creating fun crafts
He doesn't look at me that lovingly.
One taste... and he's back in Brazil.
Where a kid can be a kid!
Anytime we drove to Dell or to HEB (the rockin' grocery store), we'd pass Chuck E. Cheese. London had no clue what it was, but she knew that she wanted to go there. So, one Monday night for FHE we indulged her. It really was everything she had hoped, and more. And, given what it is, the food really ain't TOO shabby.
Random Shots
London used the nets from her Elefun game to put
the gingerbread men from her Candyland Castle game to bed.
Trying on Dad's shoes. Not sure where the pants are.
Creating fun crafts
One day while at HEB (the aforementioned awesome grocery store), Brandon happened across some REAL passion fruit juice, or Maracuja. He drank this often while on his mission and hasn't found it anywhere in the states.
He doesn't look at me that lovingly.
One taste... and he's back in Brazil.
Phew! Three months down.
11 comments:
Well it looks like you kept yourselves pretty busy - even in the yucky heat!!
London did grow a lot in those few months - i can't pick a fav of her, she's just to cute! You and Brandon are looking fabulous of course!
Well now, that was a marathon. What a blast you guys had in Texas. Looks like a great summer.
Welcome back, Jules. I've missed you and your family (I know we talk regularly, but blogs offer pictures).
If talking about your husband's flossing habits is considered "getting mushy", I'd be interested/amused by your pillow talk. ;)
Wow that was a lot of fun reading. I'm glad you have had so much fun in Texas. It was awesome to see all the pictures, I think about your family and you everytime I am by your old house. Hope everything is well.
Very impressive posting skills, I must say! Looks like tons of fun!
K
Such cute pics. Looks like I've gotta get me-self to Texas!!
Whew. You have been busy! And being pregnant on top of all that business...you are wonder woman! It was so fun to see mom and dad Fairbanks. They are the greatest! In fact, (random, I know) I will always remember your dad's amazing ability to make pancake shapes. He made the perfect shapes when he made his pancakes. He could make whatever you wanted. It was amazing. I tried to do that with my girls the other week and, well, I have a long way to go. :)
Impressive! I guess that I have to stop giving you a hard time about not exploring the area that you live in. You guys sure did that in Texas! Now get to it in North Carolina! :)
It IS amazing how much older London looks now. But still stinkin' cute!
You have been busy. Looks like fun and welcome back!!!
Fantastic...I'm ready for more:)
Wow!! Way to catch up there. There was a lot for me to catch up on. Man, is your little London a cute little stinker. I think it's you every time I see a picture of her. That must mean you're cute too:)
I loved seeing ma and pa Fairbanks. I saw them last at Tylers wedding for a short time. I love your parents! Good times, Good times.. Anyway, How's pregnancy life? When's your due date again?
Oh, and the Schlitterbaughns or "Slippery Road" as the German's would call it, is awesome! Ok, I've never been ther physically, but the Travel Channel took me there many times and i had a lot of fun.
I hope all is well. You look great.. and not a bit pregnant you turd. :)
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