Happy 31st Birthday to me!

Today I turn 31! We went to the park in the morning then went home for lunch. I made some yummy red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and made delicious breakfast for dinner; Eggs Benedict and Grandpa's goop. Yum!

Waterfront section of Park with my babies.

Rowen riding in a spinning seat

We went for a walk around the park and fed the geese.
The brown goose decided to take a snap at Lily's forearm right after I took this picture, it was very funny (not to her though).
Best buddies!

School, Dogs and a new baby

Its been a very mild September. We are trying to get our financial status in check so aren't doing too much. And with school season here I've decided to do "school" at home. Not only so Rowen is kept up in his learnings before he goes to Kindergarten next year (eeeeeeek). But lately the kids have been, I guess you can say, tired of playing. Basically the entire day is free play. Yes we do coloring, read books, etc threw the day, but I am seeing that they need to more of a structured day. They also really need to have more time apart but that really isn't an option for for 5 of the 7 days of the week. And then when the weekends are here we also want to do family time so its a catch 22 I guess. What are ya gonna do.

Boys practicing letters. They both really know how to do all the letters (Rowen can even spell quite a few).

We learned about hygiene and why we need to wash ourselves and how to do it. So I made little "tubs" and they washed a few of there action figures/doll.

Lily colors while we do school.

Lily reading to her doll.
I gave the boys haircuts and Corbin very enthusiastically said he wanted a mohawk. Mohawk he got. Like father like son.
We went to story time at the Book People book store in the city for Petting Zoo story
time. I thought there would be more animals. Rowen and Lily petting a baby duck.

All of them petting bunnies.

Our friends Tony and Coty came over and Corbin really LOVES playing the dogs. Him and Gonzo were running around the house the entire day. They were made for each other.

More playing with Gonzo and Wicket.

We welcomed a new Nephew/Cousin to the family. Aunty Alaina had a healthy adorable baby boy on September 2. Grant Vernon Alter. Welcome to the family Grant!

End of Summer

OK, somehow I just can't keep up with posts. We haven't really done all that much the past month and half. We did visit another spring called, Krause spring. It was around the same area as Hamilton Pool that we went to. We went with our friends Tony and Coty. It was a very beautiful place, despite all the rocks you have you walk on (which seems to be the way of Texas). We sat in the spring for about 5 hrs, beer in hand of course. It was nice, calming and refreshing.

Coty and I had a girls day out a few weeks ago and I finally got the guts to chop off a fair amount of my hair. I was in need of an invigorating change. I really like it and think I may go even shorter soon.

Brandon went to the Comic Con in San Diego for a week at the end of July to promote the new game, Twisted Pixel has coming out called, Comic Jumper. He surprised out friends who we haven't seen in a long time.

I take the kids to story time occasionally at various places; the library, Barnes and Noble and a local book store called, Book People, in the city.

Lily in the middle of dancing.

One of Lily's many green smoothie mustaches.

New hair do!

Brandon at the Convention with our Friends Jef and Mark, who we haven't seen in 9 years ( I still haven't seen them)

The kids having a Snack at Krause Spring.
Tony and Brandon in the Spring.

Coty getting used to the cold in the spring.

One area of the spring.

Maybe a bit mean, but too funny

We were playing with balloons one day and the kids get scared of the one that makes noise. They decided to hide from Brandon in the kitchen, which was not the best place they soon realized.

I did it on youtube because I was able to do a better quality.

Hamilton Pool

What a beautiful place! We took a trip out to the West Hills to visit Hamilton Pool on Friday. Its a natural spring fed swimming hole. It was an hour drive each way. And well worth it. It was such a pretty scenery (especially compared to living in Illinois for the past 5 years).

It was a 1/4 mile hike in the woods to get to it. We thought it was going to be more of an even surface walk. We were WAY off. It was literally hiking threw the woods on rocky, slippery and very uneven grounds. The kids did well though.

So pretty.

The kids and I before venturing in.

The preserve's pool and grotto were formed when the dome of an underground river collapsed due to massive erosion thousands of years ago. It also has a 45 foot waterfall and nature trails along the creek.

There were fish in it that Rowen is looking for here to catch.

In the back along the trail.

Beginning of walk on the trial in the back.

We were expecting it to more beach like so we ended up hauling a bit of unnecessary things (like buckets, shovels, umbrellas and so on. But now we know. And sturdy foot wear is indeed needed. I'm glad the kids had their water shoes. We need to visit again when the kids are a little older and hike a bit better.

The boys also had their first movie theater experience on Thursday. We saw Toy Story 3. Brandon took Corbin and then I took Rowen when they got back. They both did great and loved the movie.

New park

We like to check out new parks in the area, so a few days a go we went to Champion Park about 15 minutes away in Cedar Park. It was great, beautiful and bigger than I though it was going to be. We discovered that there was also a dinosaur pit to dig in here like Zilker has. The nice thing about the one here was it's shaded. We were told that if walked along the 8 mile path for 15 minutes from where we were we'd come to a dam but we decided it was too long of a walk in the heat. We'd like to go back one day and maybe bring our bikes and do it that way. We were also told that at the other park it was connected to had a nice playground and sprinkler pad to play in.

We saw this yellow grasshopper on what I think is a type of bamboo that was in a little creek on our way to dig up some dinos.

There was also dinosaur structures you could play on as well dig for.

On our way to the dam in front of very big rocks.

Another view of rocks

Looking at fish, dragonflies and throwing rocks in the creek.

Lily decided she wanted to look at things while in the creek.

Though there was a bit of a hole in one the of shades. But still, it was nicely shaded.

Lily wearing a pretty dress she got from Grandma & Grandpa for x-mas and the back pack that came with her baby.

Rowen playing the letter game we do on the computer.

Corbin's turn. They always watch the other one and follow along.

Playdough girl.

Rowen riding his bike.

Our neighborhood pool.

All 3 jumping in.

Lily chillin' in her tube.

We got a giant watermelon (this is less than half of it) at Costco and Rowen wanted to see if he could hold it.

The kids love to have slices of watermelon at the pool. It's pretty much a regular thing we do when we go.

With all that watermelon, I made some fresh watermelon popsicles with pieces of fresh blackberries (as well as a batch with fresh cut pineapple chunks) in them. They are very refreshing, and hydrating in the Texas heat.

I am pleased so far with the quality of pictures the new camera takes. Click on the grasshopper pic (or any other pic of your choice) and zoom in.