Happy Place

Texas is still my happy place.  It was so great to be back "home" for almost two weeks.  Then to come back to a home that really feels like home as opposed to a home that never even remotely felt like home in a much less jet-lagged fog, has felt even better.
We've been back for 5 days, but the pictures have yet to be uploaded.  There is still mail unopened and the laundry (all done in San Antonio the day we came back) has now filled all three laundry baskets.  Today was the kids' first day back to school since December 22nd.  The weather is gorgeous.  There has not been enough snow to measure.  This week we're back to dance class, basketball practice and Daisy meetings.  This week begins a long stretch of travel time for our dad.

We helped surprise Mema a few days before her 70th birthday.

Five of the six kids and all of the grand kids were together for the holidays.  Unfortunately for us, Aunt Daphne left for Thailand before we could get there.

We celebrated Christmas Eve and part of Christmas Day with Aunt Jacy, Uncle Jay, Bade, Cooper, Nana & Papa, but I don't think I have a single picture of those visits.  Sometimes you just get so busy soaking up the people, you forget about the documentation part.  This was Christmas night.  We were back with all of the TSEs for dinner and presents.  I think all we did was eat for at least 48 hours straight after we got there.

The kids had the best time ever with their cousins.

They also thoroughly enjoyed the hot tub.  They spent a lot of time outside on this trip soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the beautiful Texas weather.  (We have plenty of other pictures, but I'm being lazy at the moment and stealing these from facebook--I'm sure my kids will expect dinner tonight so I'm trying to be good).

Operation "Get To Fiesta Texas" probably took about 4 hours to complete, but in the end 7 adults and 10 kids requiring 5 vehicles and multiple drop-offs enjoyed 4-5 hours of family fun at Fiesta Texas--for the bargain price of 1 child's ticket.  Pretty impressive, no?

Of course, we watched the Holiday Bowl.  We spent entirely too much money at a bonus Co-op we found in San Antonio.  As a bonus, we dragged my maroon-loving sister-in-law into our heaven and her, um, not heaven.  We spent an entire day in Austin showing our oldest nephew around campus.  "Worst day" of Hannah's life or so she said.  Of course we couldn't resist another Co-op visit there and we even had lunch at Mr. Gatti's on the Drag.  Memories...

The night before New Year's Eve, the grown ups were out until almost 5 AM.  Music and dancing and afterwards, Taco Cabana for everyone.  We were all feeling a little exhausted on the actual New Year's Eve, but the kids were feeling pretty good.

Once I finally get around to uploading and organizing, I'll get more pictures on here.  We were not the best photographers this trip.  It was too easy to sit back and let the TSEs take over.  The Holland side will probably feel our slackerness.  I don't think anyone took any pictures of our time together.  We'll have to be much more intentional on our trip next summer.  At the moment Texas is not on our calendar again in 2012, but seeing how it is my happy place I must remedy that.  Such a great time.  Missing everyone already.