The Grandmother from the North

She was back again.  Somehow, she always turns up sooner or later.  But the boys thoroughly enjoy her visits, and our yard always looks magically better after she leaves!  It was great to have Granny G down in Texas again, and here are a few of the things she did while she was here:

Went to the beach with the birthday boy!

And the youngest boy!

And it doesn't get any cooler than this kid...

Got in some time on the iPad.

Ate at Joe's!

Seafood down by the bay!

Went for a few strolls.

Been here a few times, but still a nice walk.

Oh to have a little brother...

So we're sure she'll be back again soon, and if anyone else wants to come visit... this is the time of year to be here!

Almost forgot about the Alamo...

We're trying to catch up.  We really are.  With baseball season and a few visitors in the past month or so, plus Adam's birthday, it's been an overload, and we now are about 60 photos behind on the blog posts.  But most importantly, somehow, we forgot about the Alamo.  I know, everyone said to remember it, but we just forgot.  I guess we're not real Texans yet.  Anyway, when Uncle Ted was still here, we took a drive up to San Antonio to visit with them before they headed back to the east coast, and during the stop we checked out the famous last stand of those brave Texas heroes. 
   

With Uncle Ted and Aunt Rachel... this was probably the best time of year to come here, not too hot, not too cold.

They had cannons, of course.

It was just a little crowded in downtown San Antonio.

The best thing was, it was all free to get in, and there were a few cool things to see.  I'm sure we'll make it back again at some point.

Gotta love strolling around.

Paul misses getting to annoy Uncle Ted on a regular basis.

The boys had a lot of fun, and that's no bull.  Well, that's a bull... but you get what I mean.

And we even got to go to the mall! You can't go to a bigger city and not go to a bigger mall, it's just too bad the outlets were another hour up the road or we would have gone there too.  Yeah, too bad.

Spring has Sprung!

The long, cold winter seems to be all but over here in South Texas.  The weather is beautiful, the sun is shining, and Spring is in the air.  Here's what the boys have been up to the past few months:

 Finally found some peace and quiet...

Helped out in the kitchen.

Enjoyed the sunshine.

Got cooked.

Went to the park.

Walked by the water.

Worked on the bathroom.

Annoyed the dog (but not nearly as much as she annoyed us).

Enjoyed a treat.

Got in some practice.

Sadly got our faces painted.

Basked in the sunlight.

Ran through the water.

Built some Legos, of course.

 Goofed around in the car.

Opened the baseball season!

Painted a masterpiece.

And otherwise just had too much fun just being around the house!  Now bring on the good weather, and summer just around the corner!

Uncle Ted in Texas!

We were fortunate enough to get to hang out with Uncle Ted and Aunt Rachel when they came down to the Lone Star State for work and a wedding this month.  They came down to Corpus the first weekend, and we made the short drive up to San Antonio the next.  It's always good to see them, and we wish it happened more often these days.  Needless to say, the boys thoroughly enjoyed trying to wear out Ted, and almost succeeded a few times with the trampoline.  But it's all good, because he's preparing himself for the arrival of his own sure-to-be overly-energetic and exhaustion inducing boy.  So this was the last time we'll see them without the new cousin here!

New parents... due in May!

Can't come to Portland and not hit the beach.

 Always Paul.

 

Water guns and anything utilized to beat up Uncle Ted.

Get in the freezing water!

Even Nolan wanted to hang out.

 Walking the beach.

Looking for dolphins down by the bay.

Checking out the aquarium shows.

So glad they made it, even if just for a short time.  Hopefully we'll get to meet the newest cousin this summer!

It's Grandpa Bill again!

Every now and then, Grandpa Bill gets to come down and hang out with us.  He picked a good time of year to come, but unfortunately Texas got hit with some ice storms and colder weather, so it wasn't much of a winter escape from Montana for him.  After a delay in Houston, he finally made it down, and of course, made it to the beach.  We took the ferry across to Port Aransas and hit the beach shops and the water... not too bad for February.

The native Texan with the native Marylander.

Farrah was a fan... but she'll love anyone who gives her any kind of attention.

Gotta hit the water.

And get a little sand-covered.

Son #1.

Nolan with his "tough guy" face.

Another great visit, and we know he'll be back again soon! 

Is it Summer yet?

Well, it feels like Spring anyway.  Winter didn't stay long in Texas.  The sun has been shining, the air is warm, and it's all around been beautiful.  The boys have been out playing in the yard and jumping on the trampoline as often as we force them to.  Nolan, in particular, seems to enjoy the yard and throwing a ball around.  Oh, to be a one year old...

 

Is that Adam pushing the car? This may not be the best idea...

I guess we should enjoy it while it lasts!  It won't be long before the heat and humidity comes back, but for now, we'll just be outside...