March in Texas

Time keeps getting away from me and I can't seem to catch up on blogging.  My mom has been visiting this week and she has been a huge help, which has allowed me to do small things like load pictures from my camera to my computer finally. ha!  

Our trip to Texas in March was very refreshing and fun!  We went down specifically to go to a church planter's retreat in Austin for 2 days and 2 nights, but we went early so we could spend time with our families.  The first thing I noticed when we arrived at my in-law's house was the smell. Flowers everywhere!  Everything was in bloom and it was heaven to my nose!  My in-laws have the best backyard ever and it is always full of flowers and plants galore.  The weather was a perfect 65-70 degrees that week too.  The boys spent most every moment outside.  

After a few days at my in-law's, we went to my parents house and dropped the boys off and we headed to Austin. All. Alone! Sweet silence!  ha ha!  We both slept 12 hours straight the first night.  Glorious sleep.  We had a wonderful time of refreshment, encouragement, and reconnecting as a couple.  

We are forever grateful to my parents for keeping the boys. Paul was broken-hearted that his momma left him for 2 days and was quite sad most of the time.  My poor mom was up from 12-5am one night while he cried off and on and didn't sleep.  She deserves a gold medal and all the chocolate ice cream she could ever eat after enduring those 2 nights with him.  

Our trip home was exciting.  We flew from Houston to Dallas and then we were supposed to fly from Dallas to Rapid City.  Once arriving in Dallas we learned our flight was delayed for an hour and then after the hour they told us it was cancelled and we couldn't get another flight out until the next day.  Not fun for 2 tired parents and 2 very cranky kids.  We stayed in a cheap hotel (and the whole hotel experience is another interesting story itself), and crashed in the room.  Thankfully we made it home by 6pm the following day.  It was a VERY looong trip home.  

Here are a few pictures.  I failed to take any pictures while we were at my parents house or at the retreat.

The 3 amigos

I want to be 3 years old again and just sit in a swing for 30 minutes sucking on a gummy worm contemplating life. 

 Pure joy, just to sit in a swing, enjoy warmth, inhaling whiffs of the aromatic smells of the wisteria, and think about nothing while watching your kids play. 

 He wants to go play with the big boys so bad! 

 He's showing off his man belly

 The grandsons, minus John's brother.

 Love this picture!