June 2016

Posted on December 12, 2016 by sarah

June was a great big cousin-palooza! Hank had so much fun with cousins that month. Christopher and Megan came to stay with us for several days without their parents and Hank loved every moment of that extended sleepover! He had a blast playing and exploring with his cousins! We took them to Bass Pro Shop because neither had been and Christopher absolutely loved it. He was literally speechless when we walked through the doors and all the kids had fun exploring the store, checking out the huge fishtank and letting their imaginations roam. They also went bowling together, to the zoo, Tyler took Christopher and Hank to a baseball game while Sarah and Megan enjoyed some girl time together. Hank’s cousins, Ainsley and Dalton, came to visit along with Hank’s GG and Grandad for a weekend while Sarah went to North Carolina to visit her childhood friend, Amy, for her suprise birthday party. Different adventures, but the whole family had lots of fun!

The Cameron Park Zoo and the Mayborn Museum were high in our rotation of fun for this month. We went to both with Christopher and Megan and we also went with his cousins, Michael and David. We also took a trip to the Mayborn with Hank’s friend, Nathalie for a member’s only event. Hank and Nathalie loved every second of it and we stayed until the party was completely over. Hank had so much fun playing with his cousins! David joined Hank for art storytime at the Blanton Museum of Art and the boys enjoyed looking at the various pieces and installations after storytime. David cracked us up with his observation (and facial expressions) that he doesn’t “get modern art.” So fun! Lots of burgers and pizza and nachos and other unhealthy but childhood favorite foods this month. Lots of bowling and cousin fun and some fun with friends as well. Hank enjoyed playing at the big sandbox park with various friends throughout the month and he went to Cub Scout Day Camp. He said that was very fun, and very hot – sums up Texas summers pretty well I think.

Our family went to John Williams night at the Austin Symphony with Hank’s Grandma and Grandpa (Sarah’s parents) and a good time was had by all. We enjoyed taking photos with Darth Vader and the truck from Jurassic Park and hearing so many favorite soundtrack songs played by the symphony. The BIG news in June, Hank got glasses!! He said he was a bit nervous during his examination, he’d never had one like that before. And he did great and was thrilled to get to pick out his very own frames and even more excited that he was able to walk out of the office wearing his new glasses (instead of waiting a few days for them to be ready)! When Ainsley came to visit, she and Hank surprised each other with their new glasses. So cute! Here are some photos from the month in no particular order. Enjoy!

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Baseball, Scouts and Spring Fun

Posted on November 12, 2016 by sarah

Our Spring was full of baseball. Hank had fun playing on his team (Tyler had fun assistant coaching) and we had fun going to games for our local team while the weather was lovely. Spring in Texas is very short and it can get hot quite quickly but we were blessed with some great weather this year. Hank enjoyed a field trip to a farm with his class and Sarah had fun chaperoning the trip. A not so fun moment during the trip was when the guide tapped two ostrich eggs together and they exploded in all their rotten egg glory all over him and half of the people on the hayride. Thankfully, Sarah and Hank didn’t get hit by the foul liquid, but everyone had to smell it for the rest of the hayride – not very pleasant. Still, Hank and his classmates had a blast at the farm and it was a rather relaxing day. And, Hank got to ride a school bus, something he only gets to do on field trips as his school is so close to our house. He enjoyed that very much! He also enjoyed his very first concert experience that wasn’t a kids performer or one of Sarah’s shows. He got to see Ellie Goulding in concert and he loved every minute of it!

In late April, Tyler and Sarah took a trip to Ireland. Tyler had a conference to attend in Dublin so they opted to make the trip a bit longer and be tourists and have fun in Ireland around his schedule. It was a fabulous trip with highlights like visiting Newgrange (which is a Megalithic Passage Tomb and was absolutely incredible), being pelted by hail on the Hill of Tara, a gloriously sunny (but super cold) day in Glendalough (where we visited the ruins of a monastic settlement that was founded in the 6th century), visiting the Cliffs of Moher (also known as “The Cliffs of Insanity!” from the Princess Bride), seeing flowers blooming on the Burren, seeing some gorgeous cathedrals, a grim prison with deep historical ties, so much beauty from Yeats, the Book of Kells, so many great conversations and lots of fabulous food. We really loved it there!

After our trip, it was back to life as usual, baseball practice and games, violin lessons (Hank is enjoying his violin), playdates for Hank, work for Tyler and Sarah, Sarah earned her Zumba Kids certification and is looking forward to adding that into the mix and Tyler played softball on a church team for a bit. Sadly, he injured his knee during a game and had to sit out the rest of the season. Maybe next year! Another, very sad, thing that happened in May – our beloved Granny, died. Granny was Tyler’s maternal Grandmother and Hank’s paternal Great-Grandmother. She had a long life full of lots of family and fun and she will be greatly missed. Each family member has fond memories and great Granny stories to share and that is a blessing.

In May, our neighborhood pool opened, which made Hank very happy! Hank also enjoyed wrapping up his year in Cub Scouts. He earned his Wolf badge and graduated from Tiger to Wolf in May. He also wrapped up his baseball season at the end of May and said goodbye to First Grade at the end of May, first part of June. It was a fabulous school year and he had a great time! Here are some photos from our various adventures in no particular order. Enjoy!

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Zoo Trips and Rodeo

Posted on October 19, 2016 by sarah

We had a great time in March! The weather was lovely and we spent a great amount of time outside playing with friends and family and exploring some of our favorite places.

Hank and Tyler got to have a special sleepover at the Cameron Park Zoo with his Cub Scout den. They got a behind the scenes tour with zookeepers and they got to see the zoo from another side. They saw where the animals stay when they are not on exhibit, learned about some of the things the zookeepers do to help the animals and Hank even got to pet a rhino and feed a giraffe! He and Tyler (and the rest of the scouts) slept in the observation room in one of the aquariums at the zoo. So special to go to sleep surrounded by beautiful fish and marine life! Hank continues to enjoy his golf class and playing violin.

We decided to stay home for spring break this year and we had so much fun playing with friends, visiting with loved ones, having a pajama day and spending a day in Waco with Tyler (who took the day off work to hang out with Hank). When we were in Waco, Hank wanted to visit the zoo again and he was interviewed for a local program about ways that kids can help the Earth. he talked about recycling, saving water and turning off lights when not in use. He also talked about the importance of harvesting wind and solar energy – they really enjoyed his interview. Few trips to Waco are complete for Hank without a visit to the Mayborn Museum. He had a great time there as always and even got to make hand-dipped candles while he was there. On our way home, Tyler test-drove a car he’s been interested in and within a few days, he became the proud owner of a new vehicle.

GG & Grandad came to visit and we went to the rodeo together. Hank had a great time there. He enjoyed riding the rides – particularly the ferris wheel with Grandad, a huge slide with Daddy and a roller coaster with Mommy. He ended up riding the roller coaster on his own a few times as well. We all enjoyed the animals and their athleticism and Tyler took some cool pictures during a few of the events. Hank had a great time playing baseball this month and we were all thankful for the gorgeous weather for his games! We had a very low-key Easter as we had the rodeo on Good Friday, Hank had a double-header that Saturday and we weren’t in the mood for massive celebrations on Sunday so we just enjoyed time together which was lovely. Here are some photos from our month in no particular order.

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February 2016

Posted on October 19, 2016 by sarah

February was unseasonably warm which made it great for outdoor fun with friends and family and spring baseball league. Hank was selected to play on the Giants team and Tyler is one of the assistant coaches. Hank had a blast at opening day and seems to enjoy his team. He continues to enjoy his Cub Scout experience, playing violin, baseball and having fun with friends. This month, Hank began a golf class after school. He really enjoys it and his golf coach is great. Hank is having lots of fun!

We celebrated Chinese New Year with a gathering at our friend, Carolyn’s house again this year. She made dumplings and she and Hank made spring rolls together – he really liked wrapping them up. Hank helped make the tea eggs again, his favorite, and we had heaps of noodles for long life. Carolyn always asks Sarah to make those and she is happy to do it. Making food for our immediate family is quite different from making food for a larger gathering. We were all astonished at the quantity of noodles (and the fact that they were nearly all polished off by the end of the evening). It was great hanging out with friends celebrating life and good things to come.

Hank and Tyler had a few dad and son adventures this month. They went to a hockey game together with Hank’s scout den and after the game, they got to hang out and talk with some of the players. Hank thought that was very fun. Hank also had fun when Tyler came to school for Watch D.O.G.S. day. Tyler spent the day at school with Hank and helped in his classroom and school. He even gave a math lesson! Fun times.

The Cub Scout Blue & Gold Banquet was near the end of the month. Hank loved every minute of it. He advanced in rank, earning his Tiger badge. There was a cake bake-off and auction as part of the banquet and Hank had fun bidding on cakes. We ended up taking two of them home. Hank was so pleased to have “won” – Tyler had a time explaining that we actually bought the cakes and what we won was the opportunity to pay the most money for them. Hank has a better understanding of how silent auctions work now and we had 2 full cakes to enjoy at home. That very night, everyone had a taste of each and we all (GG & Grandad were there too) agreed that the homemade chocolate Darth Vader cake was by far superior to the Jakku Battle purchased angel food cake dressed up with canned vanilla frosting. The next morning, we found bits of frosting on the floor – Caesar evidently thought Darth Vader was the tastiest as well. He tasted both cakes in the night and ate most of the chocolate one. Fortunately, he has a stomach of steel and the chocolate cake did not make him sick. It was pretty funny.

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New Year, New Stuff, New Activities

Posted on October 18, 2016 by sarah

January was full of new. Not only did it kick off a new calendar year, we got to move back into the part of our house that was being re-floored in December. It was really good getting to be intentional about what went back in the house and where we wanted it. In a very real way, it was like moving. We love our new floor! In the process of re-doing it, we discovered a leak in our dishwasher. So, in January, we got a new dishwasher and a new sink, which kind of snowballed into a new range and a new microwave. We love all of them! Our pool table had been moved about to lay the new flooring so we had the professionals come out and reset it, making sure its level and properly spaced. We had them put in some new bumpers and refelt it as well – so its like we have a new pool table now too. Lots of deliveries and installations and new stuff at our house. Its been busy and we are happy to have all that work behind us and look forward to settling in and enjoying all the results.

Everyone is back to work and school after a lovely winter break. Tyler hit the ground running with projects and deadlines and Sarah kicked off the year leading a seminar for early childhood educators on classroom management techniques. Both were successful. Tyler played in a golf tournament and Sarah went to her friend, Steve’s book release party when his book tour came through town. Hank is still enjoying Scouts. He participated in his very first Pinewood Derby this month. He got to design his car and Uncle Ben and Daddy helped him make it (they did the big stuff like using saws and such). He won third place in his den. Hank also tried out for Spring baseball in our local league this month. We find out soon which team he made and if Tyler will be coaching. He continues to enjoy playing violin and he auditioned for his school’s variety show and was happy to be selected again this year. He played “Flowers of Edinburgh” on his violin in the show and it was very well recieved. Hank is really liking school! Unfortunately, shortly after returning from winter break, he got hit with the seasonal illnesses and came down with strep. That was no fun but we took good care of him and he was better in no time. He loves to read, play on his playscape, play with friends, play his violin, go to Scouts and he is looking forward to baseball. We didn’t take many photos this month but here are a few in no particular order.

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December 2015

Posted on October 18, 2016 by sarah

December seemed to fly by! Hank had a great time launching the rocket he built with Tyler over Thanksgiving break. His Scout pack had a rocket launch day at a local park and Hank loved getting to send his high into the air! We didn’t host much this month as we were having work done at our house. We decided to replace half of our flooring and said goodbye to the laminate in the kitchen and the carpet downstairs. It took some time (and mess) for the new tile to be laid so we ate a lot of convenience food and had playdates and adventures outside of our home as much as possible this month. Hank had fun celebrating his good friend, Nathalie’s birthday at her roller-skating party. He enjoyed baking and decorating a big gingerbread man with his friends, Andrew and Marylin and he had fun choosing restaurants to check out with Mom and Dad since our kitchen was out of commission much of the month.

While half of our house was in complete disarray most of the month, we still enjoyed decorating for Christmas and we still made a point to hang our stockings by the chimney on Christmas Eve. Hank hung most of the decorations on the tree and as usual, he selected some Star Wars friends to “visit baby Jesus” in our Nativity creche. He chose quite a few visitors this year so we had to snap a photo of the party.

Tyler took some time off work, Hank and Sarah’s schools were closed and our family had some special time together without any of those responsibilities. We went to the metroplex for a few days to celebrate Christmas with GG and Grandad and Granny and Traci, Geoff, Ainsley and Dalton. Grandad and GG surprised Hank, Ainsley and Dalton with a short trip to Great Wolf Lodge – without their parents (thanks GG & Grandad)! The kids had a blast and, thanks to Aunt Traci, they also got special wristbands that enabled them to get free icecream. Needless to say between swimming, pajama story-time, bunk beds and a good supply of ice cream, the kids were very very happy and had an awesome time. We enjoyed visiting with family there and Caesar loved that he got to go with us. He really likes road trips and he also likes that GG & Grandad don’t have as many places in their yard for squirrels to hide as we do at home. Grandad took Tyler skeet shooting, which he really enjoyed, and we all enjoyed each other’s company very much.

We came home in time for baking cookies (for Santa) and peeling carrots (for the reindeer), Christmas Eve church with Grandpa & Grandma and hanging stockings and a good bed time. Hank had a thoroughly satisfying Christmas celebration with our little family and the very next day we went over to Grandma and Grandpa’s house to celebrate with them and all the aunts and uncles and cousins on that side of the family. It was full of joy and chaos and laughter. Hank loved getting to see his grandparents and his Aunt Donna, his Uncle Dick and Aunt Becky, his Aunt Laura, Uncle Jon, cousins, Alyssa, Megan and Christopher (who live out of town and he doesn’t get to see very often). He loved seeing his Uncle Josh, Aunt Dayna, and cousins, Michael, Tori and David. His Uncle Ben, Aunt Nancy, cousins, James and Paul, and his Uncle Amos, Aunt Shannon and cousins, Kai, Connor, Mia and Riley. We all loved seeing each other and having fun together and eating lots of treats. Hank kept sneaking pieces of Aunt Donna’s fudge and our meringues. It was a good time.

Hank’s Uncle Josh and Aunt Dayna hosted a very fun New Year’s Eve party at their house. Hank had a great time playing with his cousins and Tyler and Sarah enjoyed spending time with everyone too. We all ate delicious food, had fun conversations and interactions and then all together, we counted down and watched the ball drop (on TV) and then we took Hank home and tucked him into bed, greeting the new year at home. Here are some photos from various fun times in December in no particular order.

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Scouts and Snow

Posted on October 18, 2016 by sarah

November was so fun! The very first few days were not as fun for Hank, he had a stomach bug. But he got lots of rest and fluids and was better in no time. He seemed to really enjoy getting to lay on the couch and watch TV and eat electrolyte popsicles while he was sick, but he was also very happy to get to go back to school.

Hank really enjoys school. He likes his teacher and has made several new friends this year. He continues to enjoy playing violin and has lots of fun with his teacher, Ms. D. Tyler is doing well at work – they keep him very busy there with his various responsibilities and projects. Sarah is doing well at work – her students keep her very busy as well. Our family has been enjoying the results of a cooking class Sarah has been enjoying this fall – Turkish Cuisine. Hank particularly enjoys the dessert recipes while Tyler prefers the savory meat dishes and Sarah the vegetarian dishes. HOwever, we all agree on the tahini rolls (a semi-sweet dish made with tahini and phyllo)!

Hank joined Cub Scouts this fall and he’s been having lots of fun with it. This month was full of outdoor adventures with his scout den and pack. The first weekend of October, Tyler went hunting with Grandad and Hank and Sarah went to Tiger Adventure Day together. Hank had a blast shooting air rifles, archery, building boats, playing games, hiking in the rain and creating and cracking codes. It was chilly and rainy all day, but the wet weather did nothing to dampen Hank’s sense of adventure and all the fun he had there. The very next weekend, Hank and Tyler went on the pack campout together at a local State Park. They had a great time! Hank loved getting to go fishing and helping to build the campfire. He also enjoyed sleeping in the tent and all the special time with Daddy in nature.

We decided to do something we’d never done before and spent Thanksgiving at the cabin with GG and Grandad. It was SO wonderful! The weather was perfect, we were there during the transition from fall to winter and Hank got to play in both leaves and snow during our time there. We saw lots of wildlife activity as nature prepared for winter and we had some wonderful and much needed family downtime. It was very peaceful and of course beautiful and was a perfect, lovely way to spend a holiday centered around introspection and gratitude. Here are some photos from November in no particular order.

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October Fun

Posted on March 3, 2016 by sarah

October was a super fun month. Hank continues to enjoy school and has made lots of new friends. He had lots of fun playdates with friends and even some splash pad fun, which is kind of funny to say in October. He continues to enjoy Cub Scouts and baseball and is really learning the fundamentals of the game. Tyler is doing well at work – things have been very busy there! Sarah is enjoying teaching and has begun taking Turkish cuisine cooking classes, which we all benefit from.

Hank enjoys playing violin and this month, he moved to a new size, 1/4. Its always so sweet watching Hank and Alexis work together to find the best violin for him and this time, Callen came to the violin shop as well. Hank tried out several violins and he and Alexis settled on one that has a lovely tone and feels good to Hank. He is excited to learn some new songs on his new violin.

We had some great celebrations this month. Hank got to go to a cousins birthday sleepover to celebrate his cousins, Kai and Connor’s birthdays. He had a blast playing with his cousins, James, Paul, Mia, Riley, Connor and Kai. They had fun staying up late, playing games and eating pancakes. We also celebrated Halloween with family. Grandma and Grandpa hosted a fun party with treats, games, prizes and trick-or-treating in thier neighborhood. Hank dressed up as the Cat in the Hat and he had a great time with his cousins, James and Paul and they all got lots of candy, treats and prizes.

The biggest celebration this month was Hank’s 7th birthday! He wanted a Magic Treehouse party and he not only got to play magic treehouse and eat pancakes (his dinner of choice) with his friends, he got to do it all over again with some of his cousins the very next day! Two parties in one weekend! He had a wonderful time and loved getting to see so much family. His cousin, Tori, even called from college to wish him a happy birthday. Since it rained, we weren’t able to have the playscape we got him for his birthday installed so we pretended the top of our stairs was the “Magic Treehouse”. Tyler even made a treehouse out of cardboard and put it up at the top of the stairs. The kids had a blast climbing the stairs and going into (and out of) the “treehouse” to read clues and wish to go there. We had activities for each clue, based on some of Hank’s favorite Magic Treehouse stories. Everyone had a great time! It was a special weekend and Hank loved every second of it. We can’t believe he is already 7!! Here are some photos from our month in no particular order. We love this kid!

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School & Baseball

Posted on February 29, 2016 by sarah

September was busy! We got back into the school days routine and Hank enjoyed his first month in First Grade. He decided he wanted to join the Cub Scouts and began working on his Bobcat rank as soon as he joined. Baseball also kicked off in September. Hank played for the Silver Sluggers and had a great time. Tyler is one of the assistant coaches and enjoys being able to cheer Hank on from the field.

In addition to school, scouts and baseball, Hank continues to enjoy violin. He played “Flowers of Edinburgh” as a duet with his teacher, Ms. D for his fall recital. Hank enjoyed having Grandma and Mommy come visit him at school for lunch on Grandparents Day. Our whole family got to celebrate with Uncle Amos, Aunt Shannon and Hank’s cousins, Kai, Connor, Mia and Riley at a fun housewarming party for thier new house. Hank loved getting to play with them in thier awesome backyard. We didn’t have many playdates this month as we were settling into new routines, but Hank did have a great time visiting the library and baking with Mom. He made some delicious pumpkin oat chocolate chip cookies among other things. There are some photos of his various adventures below (in no specific order).

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August 2015

Posted on February 29, 2016 by sarah

August was awesome! Hank had a blast at his fiddle camp and did a great job at the end of camp performance. He thought it was really cool to get to play at The Salt Lick (and he also made it a portal for our team in Ingress while we were there). Grandad and GG came to visit that weekend to catch Hank’s show. Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt Laura, and his cousins, Alyssa and Christopher came to the show as well (and of course his parents!). Everyone had a great time and Hank enjoyed spending special time with his cousins, grandparents and Aunt Laura.

When GG and Grandad were visiting, we took a day trip to New Braunfels where we had a blast at the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. Its basically a drive through zoo and we saw all sorts of awesome creatures and got to feed zebras and llamas from our car (we purchased food for them at the zoo – they weren’t eating our snacks). Hank loved seeing all the animals. We rounded out the afternoon with a stop at the local children’s museum and a delicious dinner before heading home. It was lots of fun! We also visted Bass Pro Shop while they were in town and Hank had a great time hacking all the Ingress portals there (there were several and we walked all over the store trying to locate them all).

We tried to be rather low-key where we could in August, preparing for the new school year by getting new supplies and clothes and visting the pool and splash pad as often as we could. Hank enjoyed time with his friends, visits with family and the occasional screen time. Tyler went to the Alamo with his friend, Alan, who was visiting from Taiwan. The Alamo was very high on Alan’s list of places to visit in Texas and they had a great time there.

At the end of the month, Hank began First Grade. His teacher’s name is Mrs. Brewer and she is very nice. Hank was excited to have some of his classmates from Kindergarten in his First grade class, including one of his first friends from Kindergarten, a girl named Sidney. It was a super fun month! Here are some photos in no particular order.

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