Category: texas

Heartbroken for the Ocean, Again: The Galveston Bay Oil Spill and How You Can Help

Ellie and me on our recent trip to Galveston Island
Ellie and me on our recent trip to Galveston Island

I’m sure you’ve heard by now about the collision of a ship and barge in Galveston Bay that resulted in a tragic oil spill. I wrote this post after the last major oil spill in the gulf, and here we are again. I am heartbroken, as I’m sure many of you are. I am a life long lover of the beach and I wept as I watched the news of oil spreading in to the Gulf of Mexico, threatening migratory birds at the height of their season, killing countless animals, and destroying the beautiful shores of our Texas beaches. The careers of fishermen and the tourist industries of the gulf towns are at risk, and the environmental effects will be felt for decades.

I hate it, yet we continue to drive gas guzzling SUVs and support this nation’s dependence on the very substance causing the tragedy. I cannot go and help today, but if you live in the bay area you can. Anyone can donate to the relief effort. Volunteer, donate, or report oil sightings here with the Galveston Bay Foundation. I hope that something can be learned from an environmental disaster of this magnitude and our collective national mindset will begin to move away from our oil addiction.

Our Texas Ranchsgiving & My 2013 Thankful List

We spent Thanksgiving at our sister-in-law’s family’s ranch near Huntsville, Texas.  It was cold but sunny and we had a great time.  The MJD Ranch and the Goertz family is always so welcoming to us and we love being there and with them.  Most of Jed’s family joined us there and we had a huge dinner complete with lots of football watching and outdoor playing.  The Bear had the time of his life.  Barns, cows, horses, and tractors are his favorites.  The Pearl girl decided she did not approve of pack-n-play sleeping and let everyone know it throughout the night.  This left us a little sleep deprived, but we still had fun.  Sweet Bear slept through the uproar, but I when I asked if he’d heard her the next day he said, “Baby Ellie was crying all night.”  Sorry buddy.  It was bizarre, because she was waking up so angry and nothing appeased her.  I tried every trick in the mama book.  It stopped as soon as we got home. Babies be crazy. 

Oh hay little Bear.  
This precious boy is definitely on my Thankful list for 2013.
Here’s the rest.  I’m 34, so I listed 34 things. There are many more, but I like the tradition of doing one for every year of life, taught to me by my sweet friend Betsy.  I had all my YoungLives girls start this tradition at campaigners, and it was amazing to hear their lists.  What are you thankful for this year?
1. Jed 2. Fisher 3. Eleanor 4. My parents 5. my siblings 6. YoungLives 7. being debt free 8. our house 9. staying home with my kids 10. this blog & the opportunities it provides 11. Grace 12. fall leaves 13. My grandmother moving to Dallas 14. blue mason jars 15. cupcakes 16. our new church 17. my salvation 18. Being a team with my husband 19. beach vacation 20. Jackson, my wonder wiener dog 21. fresh gulf shrimp 22. 3 playgrounds near our house 23. our neighborhood pools 24. MOPS 25. BSF 26. my new part time job with YoungLives Camp starting in January  27. new tires on our cars 28. a successful VBAC 29. the health of our family 30. the ability to breastfeed Ellie 31. cloth diapers 32. our budget 33. our emergency fund 34. God’s provision for our family.  

Christmas card pic, obviously.
What’s weird about all the attempts at Christmas card pics is that the Pearl girl looks super mad.  She is the happiest baby in the world 99% of the time.  That 1% was during the night of our Thanksgiving trip and any family photo shoots.  Ergh…

I’ve come to love a Texas sunset.

We tried to get a photo with all of the Eby cousins and their Paw Paw, but made the mistake of facing the sun.  The sun is like kryptonite for my blue eyed people.  This is the only one with most of the eyes open.  The Bear loves his big cousins.  We are so thankful for our family.

The State Fair of Texas Summer Adventure at Fair Park Rocks!


 
Did you know you can get a Fletcher’s Corny Dog in the summer?  Until last week, I had no idea.  I thought the illusive fried goodness only happened during the State Fair.  This summer for the first time, The State Fair of Texas Summer Adventure opened the fairgrounds up for the public all summer long.  It’s not too late to visit, as tickets are half price and the gates are open daily until August 18th.  This is not in any way a sponsored post.  We just visited the Summer Adventure and thought it rocked, so I’m sharing it with you.   

For one price you get all the rides you can squeeze in, and there are NO LINES.  Seriously, we had the place to ourselves which was awesome.  It opens at 10 am, so you can get there before the heat really sets in.  For $14.95 you get a admission, a pass to ride everything as many times as you want, a bottle of water, AND admission to the Children’s Aquarium and the Texas Discovery Garden.  That, my friends, is a ridiculous deal.  

I’m not sure how I missed this at the beginning of the summer, but I’m so glad we went.  If they offer season passes next year, we are so in.  The Bear had a blast.  He rode his first ever fair ride, and loved it.

See what I mean?  No one else was there.  It was AWESOME.  The thing I don’t like about the actual State Fair is the crowds.  We rode the carousel over and over, and were the only ones on it.  I felt bad for the staff, but I’m sure it will get better next year.

The Bear was able to ride quite a few of the attractions, but most of the kiddie rides have a 36 inch height requirement and our little shorty is 35.5 inches tall.  Next year he will be the perfect age for all the kiddie rides.  There are plenty of options for big kids and adults as well.

Not only do they have all the usual fair rides, they also have splash pads set up and a stationary surf wave you can ride if you want to get wet.  They have shows going on all day as well, all included in the admission price.  Jed and Bear loved the BMX bike show.

Because of the notorious Texas heat, there are lots of indoor, air-conditioned options.  The building below is filled with gorgeous plants and a train exhibit that kept the Bear enthralled for over half an hour.  That’s years in toddler time.  It rivaled the Trains at Northpark and was seriously like a magical fairy land.  I nursed the Pearl Girl while Bear chased the trains around.  There is also a building dedicated to Lego building with tables for the kids and lots of seating for adults.  We spent some time cooling off in there as well.

If you want to win the parent of the year award and end your summer with a bang, head to Fair Park.  You can buy tickets online here and find more information.  

Daddy and the Four Wheeler

 Jed was so excited to take the Bear on his first four wheeler ride when we visited the ranch over Thanksgiving.  Don’t worry, he was just planning on circling the driveway.  The Bear was not equally excited, and you can see below how things played out.  He started out a little nervous.

 Then he progressed to uncomfortable and tried to escape.  Then the whole situation escalated into a full scale meltdown.  Needless to say, the Bear’s first four wheeler ride will come sometime in the future.

Toddlers and Tractors

 The Bear’s obsession of the moment is all things farm.  When we were invited to the Goertz’s ranch for Thanksgiving, he was in heaven.  Not only were there big tractors, cows, horses, and 4-wheelers, there was also a pint sized tractor perfect for him.  He spent hours on this thing.

He also loved watching his big cousins, Preston, Parker, and Noah, do fun big kid stuff.  You know, like drive full sized gators around.  

Look at the pure concentration on Preston’s face.  This kid is going to be an awesome driver by the time he turns 16.  

Now I just need to find one of these mini tractors for our backyard.  Craigslist is calling…

A New House, a Move, and a Baby

So, a few things have been happening around here lately.  If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook (which you definitely should) you know that we bought our first house, moved in, and have baby #2 on the way.  You know, just a few small things.  It has been crazy, exciting, stressful, and great, all at the same time.

At least this guy is the sweetest little Bear ever.  

The house is 1970s one story cutie that backs up to a creek and needs a LOT of work.  I’ll post before and after pics of each of our projects as we check them off our list, but it is going to be a looong process.  So far we have dealt with major plumbing issues, residual cat dander and pee, and some serious wood paneling.  We’ve asked ourselves many times, “Why did we buy a house again? and have yet to come up with a satisfactory answer.  We know deep down it will all be worth it eventually, but on most days I feel like we will be surrounded by boxes FOR-EV-ER.  We are doing most of the work ourselves, and let me just tell you that HGTV makes it look way too easy.  This junk is hard.  Crazy hard.  If you’re interested in coming over to remove wallpaper, I’ll love you forever.  I’ve decided to affectionately call the house the Duck Creek Ranch, so that it will grow on me a little faster.  Why Duck Creek Ranch? We live on a super cute creek filled with ducks, it is a ranch style house, and everyone in Texas loves a ranch.

For the first time ever, we hired movers.  I’m a bit of a gypsy and have moved at least once per year since the age of eighteen.  I’m now 33.  That’s a lot of moves, people.  I once could move all my worldy possessions in the back of my car.  Alas, those days are gone.  It took weeks of packing, 3 guys + us, a BIG moving truck, and many hours to get all of our crap into the new house.  I was pretty much useless because of my first trimester sickness and generally being pregnant, plus herding a toddler.  Poor Jed worked all day at his teaching job and then came to DCR every day after school to work until 9 or 10 pm.  He is the best, that man of mine.

I can’t believe I’m already almost half way through this pregnancy.  We found out the gender last week and have been slowly revealing it to family and friends.  I’ll share it on the blog tomorrow, so vote now in the gender poll.  After all, you have a 50% chance of being right.  Mini Bear is growing well, and I’m feeling so much better now that I’m firmly in the 2nd trimester.

How many times have you moved?  Share your craziest moving story in the comments.

Scenes from the Road – Texas

The first leg of our trip was a great success. Everything fit into the car which was no small miracle. Packing is Jed’s spiritual gift. The Bear was GREAT in the car minus the fact that he only napped for 27 minutes all day. We stopped for lunch and play time at Lucy Park in Wichita Falls thanks to a rec from the Berres. It was perfect. Bear loved the duck ponds and chased duck after duck into the water. He even started saying duck (du du). Our next stop was at an awesome fair park in Childress, TX, where the bathrooms were glorious and the baby swings in the shade. Travel magic, people. We found a great hotel deal on Priceline and rolled into Amarillo right on time. If you are rolling with a toddler we highly recommend the Ashmore Inn. There was a nook in our room just perfect for a pack n play. We got a dinner rec on Twitter and hit the Coyote Bluff Cafe for fabulous burgers and fries. I love fun local joints like that.

• I’m posting from my phone so it may not look exactly right. Thanks for understanding.

Our Crazy 8 Week Road Trip with a Toddler

This summer we are embarking on an eight week road trip across Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, and possibly Florida.  With a one year old.   To the casual observer this might seem totally crazy, but we are really excited about it.  The trip will be a combination of work, play, and family time.  I am referring to it as Gypsy Caravan Summer Tour 2012, in reference to a summer spent similarly in 2006.  We have gotten a lot of surprised/horrified reactions from friends because of the length of the trip and the age of our child.  There is this idea out there in the world that you can’t travel with a toddler.  I believe that we can and hope that I won’t be proved wrong over the next 2 months.  
I plan to sit here a lot.  

We are packing our bags and finishing up details for our trip right this minute.  I hope to chronicle it for you here on the blog.  We have our housesitter lined up, and Jackson the Wonder Dog is at Camp Grandma and Grandpa for the immediate future.  There was a small baby biting incident a few weeks back that I’ve yet to write about.  Let’s just say Jackson is lucky that my parents love him and have a big backyard.  We have a big checklist going of all the things we need to do and pack before we leave.  The excitement is building.
We’ve had a TON of questions from friends and family about our trip, so I decided to address a few here.

 Can’t. Wait.  

Where are we going?  Our first stops will be Amarillo, TX, and Salida, CO, on the way to Young Life’s Trail West Lodge in Buena Vista, CO.  I will be working at Trail West for a month as the women’s summer staff coordinator.  After our month at Trail West we will be staying a week in Vail, CO, possibly a stop to see friends in Pagosa Springs, CO, then almost a week in Red River, NM.  We will then head to Little Rock, AR for a wedding and to see family.  After that there may be a beach trip involved, but that is yet to be determined.

Wait, I thought you were becoming a stay at home mom.  What’s with working all summer?   Yes, my last day as a Young Life staffer is June 30th.  I will be working at Trail West as a volunteer.  We believe in the mission of Young Life wholeheartedly and are thankful for the opportunity to serve at Trail West.  After that I will be a full time mama.

How can y’all afford this?  Did you throw the Dave Ramsey budget out the window? Nope, we budgeted FOR the trip.  That’s the beauty of a budget, you can add stuff to it.  We have a vacation fund as well as some very generous friends who are loaning us places to stay.  Our month at Trail West is free because we are working, and our gas to and from camp is reimbursed.  We budgeted for food, gas to other places, hotel stays on the road, and incidentals.  We plan to do lots of free stuff and have lots of free quality time.  If you have free fun ideas for us in any of the places listed above, PLEASE pass them on by emailing me, tweeting me, or commenting below.  Our neighbors are also housesitting for us in exchange for lawn mowing services.  Thanks neighbors!

That’s great and all, but are you seriously hauling a one year old across the country?  Yes, yes, we know it is crazy and we think it will also be awesome.  Our little boy is such a joy and hopefully we be so on the road with lots of park stops on the way and hotel pools to swim in.  I will be tweeting all summer with the hashtag #toddlertravel so you can see how it goes.  If you have any travel with toddlers advice, I’d love to hear it.

What about your life in Dallas?  How can y’all just pick up and leave for 2 months?  We will obviously miss our friends here.  I have a gypsy soul and need to just GO sometimes.  Dallas is hot as hell in the summer time, and sooo humid.  We live in an old rent house that is very difficult to keep cool.  Jed is a teacher so he is off til mid August.  I love being able to just leave.  For years I kept my passport in my purse, just in case.  That habit faded with marriage, a child, and a job that needed me 24/7.  My longing to wander will be satisfied for a little while by this adventure.

Do you think we’re crazy, or do you wish you were packing right now, too?

Austin, TX with a Baby

For your viewing enjoyment, I present a photo collage via Instagram of our trip to Austin this week.  
It was in the 30s and 40s, with a hazy shade of winter cast over the city.  We stayed downtown at the Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental Hotel, because we were in town for a state teacher testing conference representing Jed’s school.  Fisher and I did a lot of lounging around in our room because of the cold both weather and illness affecting us.  We shopped and ate and enjoyed ourselves, and would love to go back when the weather is nice.  Downtown is very walkable, and the city has so much to explore.  I would choose a different hotel next time.  The Intercontinental was nice and had lots of architectural interest, but our room was tiny and expensive (paid for by the school) and the mandatory valet parking was very pricey.    
Where did we eat? 
The Mellow Mushroom near the University of Texas campus was our first dinner stop.  We were headed out to Hula Hut at the lake, but traffic was horrendous so we decided to stay close.  We love Mellow Mushroom in Asheville, so we went for what we know.  We had the Funky Chicken pizza and the soft pretzels.  The key at MM is to order a side of the Esperanza house dressing.  That junk is so good.  
The next day Jed had a long lunch break so we went to Mellow Johnny’s, Lance Armstrong’s bike shop.  My husband is a cyclist and could entertain himself in a bike shop for hours.  He showed Fisher all the cool bike stuff while I shopped for Christmas presents for him.  If you are into bikes, the shop is a must see.  Many of Lance’s bikes are on display along with a well thought out selection of cycling gear and accessories.  It also has a cafe called Juan Pelota’s that serves breakfast burritos and coffee.  
For lunch we headed to the Taco Shack.  I had a chicken torta with bread that melted in my mouth.  Delicioso.  
At the Taco Shack, Fisher had a big first.  He sat up in a high chair throughout the meal.  Yay!!  He loved playing with his toys and sitting up like a big boy while we ate.  

Fisher and I did a little more exploring, driving around the state capitol and South Congress shops.  We picked up a few cupcakes from Hey Cupcake, one of the famous food trucks on South Congress.  I surprised Jed with them when he got back to the hotel.  

Fisher and I did lots of snuggling on the big king sized bed in our room.  A sniffly baby makes exploring in the cold not so much of an option.    
Our last night in town we went to Magnolia Cafe on South Congress.  It rocked my world.  It was cheap and delicious with a laid back atmosphere and creative menu.  I had baked acorn squash with the chef’s special pecan pesto on top, with a side of curried shrimp and veggies.  Oh my.  I was in broccoli heaven.  
We came back to Dallas and were greeted by gridlock.  We loved the feel of Austin and hope to go back and explore more when the weather is nicer.  Where would you like to explore?   

Glen Rose Getaway – Dessert with the Pie Peddlers

On our weekend getaway in Glen Rose, we happened upon an antique car show in the main square surrounding the court house.  The streets were closed off and lined with fabulously restored antique cars.  This was perfect for us, because I could wander through the antique shops and boutiques while Jed obsessed over the cars.  Every few minutes he would come in a store to see something I wanted to show him, and I would come out to do the same.  Perfect.  We stumbled on a little place called the Pie Peddlers, and had to stop in.  

  The pies are all made fresh daily, and they have a great selection.  Unfortunately we felt that it was a little overpriced.  The slices were $4 each.  I know that is pretty standard or cheap for restaurant dessert, but you know we are super frugal.  We decided to go for it since we were on vacation.

 Jed ordered the coconut caramel, and was definitely the big winner of the day.  It was phenomenal.

 I had the key lime pie, which is my go-to dessert.  It was good, but not fabulous.  I’m a little bit of a key lime pie snob, apparently.

Overall, I would say that stopping in Pie Peddlers is worth it for the ambiance and great service.  The same ladies who make the pies wait on the tables, and are super sweet.  Skip the key lime and go straight for the coconut, chocolate, or coconut caramel.  
What is your go-to dessert?  
Don’t forget to check out the Spring Fling Day 3 Giveaways: 
A Vintage Inspired Necklace at Ask Anna
A Super Cute Apron at While He Was Napping