Another Austin discovery

Have you been to Ski Shores? I had heard of this place before and Omar and I finally went for lunch one day when Karina was in school. It was the best lunch date in a while. The location was superb right on Lake Austin in a somewhat secluded area away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was nice to have this time away in a quiet and serene atmosphere. There's nothing between the deck and the water to guard curious little children, but there's a nice gated playground away from the water so a future outing with the girls is likely.:)

More Thanksgiving holiday pics

I almost left these out. I loved how sweet Marisa and Yvette looked from inside our living room window.

Thanksgiving holiday

This Thanksgiving we wanted to enjoy a slower pace and stay home for the holiday. We invited my sister Carmen and enjoyed her company for the week. Lucky them, they get a whole week off! I love spending this quality time to catch up with no worries about schedules or rushing to get anywhere. We spent our days exploring things in and around Austin. The girls adore their cousins and entertained themselves every minute of every day. They play amazingly together which gives me a break too. I often wonder how my mom managed with 7 children. It's hard enough work with just 3. But I have lots of memories of being around my cousins frequently while the adults did their own thing. I rarely remember constant supervision but we never got into trouble, and I dont' remember quarrelling with my siblings when cousins were around. I can now understand the phrase, "it takes a village to raise child" and I while I sometimes wish we were closer to family, I am thankful we are this close. This is really the closest we have ever been. Now onto our week. We went for a very short hike near the Austin Science and Nature Center. Omar had to work so he stayed with Karina while she napped. The hike was just perfect for the kiddos and the reward came quick--a view of the city. We also went to Cabela's. Ever been there? It's just a short drive south in Buda. This store always amazes me, I personally think it's over the top, but it's neat to experience with the kids especially because Omar always adds a learning element to it. The girls enjoy the giant fish tanks. On Thanksgiving day my youngest sister and her family joined us too. She lives in Austin now. She is north, but still closer than Laredo. I can't remember the last time we got a picture of us or that all three of us were together like this. It was a nice treat and a nice way to spend the holiday . After Carmen left, Omar and I headed to College Station to watch the Aggies play. Would you believe this was my first game as an alumni despite the fact that I lived in College Station for 4 years!! as an alumni? It was a gift for Omar's birthday from his sister. We really enjoyed it and my favorite part was not being forced to stand. Coincidently we sat right next to the band on the first deck which brought back memories because that is where I sat in my college days with my band boyfriend...well of course it was Omar!! Aggie game

Mom's Night Out!

K's first haircut

I had been maintaining Karina's hair by very slightly trimming it. Up until now that was sufficient. Well, she finally needed a real haircut. She did great! She was timid and skeptical at first and I thought she might cry or refuse the haircut but once she got that lollipop she was happy as a clam.

Elena's birthday

Elena's last birthday party with friends was in College Station for her 2nd birthday. I didn't realize it had been so long but for the 3rd we had just arrived in Belmont and she didn't have a group of friends yet. For her 4th we had just moved to Austin and again no friends yet. On her 5th I was too pregnant and exhausted to plan a birthday party and then on her 6th I guess I was afraid I couldn't go through with it because it had been so long. The thing is birthday parties stress me out. I know they shouldn't. It's just a kid birthday party but once I start to think about planning for Elena's, I have to start thinking about Marisa's and Karina's too, and I become overwhelmed. 3 parties within two months just sounds daunting to me. Anyway, I went for it and I was glad I did. She invited all the kids in her class and more than half came. While it was hard work planning everthing, I did enjoy it and it was so much fun for her and all the kids. Elena asked for a space theme and it was a suprisingly easy theme to work. Happy birthday! We love you sweet girl!

Lost Maples Hike

I'd been feeling nostalgic about the New England fall colors and found out that Texas has some turning leaves too. I was thrilled to find out about Lost Maples State Park and managed to organize a trip with two other friends and their families on Veteran's Day weekend. We caravanned together and stayed in Kerrville for a night and the next morning we began our hike. There's a wonderful site that records and updates the changing foliage here which can help you decide on when to go. Although, we weren't there for peak color, it was still beautiful and we had a great time. Elena still says, "remember when we went hiking at that beautiful place." We'd love to go again and maybe finish the hike to the top of the hill to see the incredible view we only heard about.