Maria and the kids swung by TX for a week-long visit before heading to AZ. It was wonderful to show them around and spend time with them!
Day 1: Houston Museum of Natural Science - embarking on our 1st day out and totaling 3-1/2 miles of walking, was this beautiful museum with a butterfly exhibit. It was a fun-filled day with LOTS of learning! Day 2: Space Center Houston - Since Mark used to work here, he was thrilled to show everything to the kiddos. It was another fun-filled day with 3 miles of walking. The highlights were the Apollo 5 Rocket and seeing the astronaut training facility. Day 3: Galveston Beach - Us 3-generations of ladies went to spend the day in Galveston.. Canal tour, beaching, and swimming. It was a hot but pretty awesome day! The highlight of this trip was seeing the dolphins in the canal! Day 4: Houston Zoo - Another 3-generation lady trip, it was a very hot day, but we enjoyed seeing all the animals at this beautiful zoo! The highlights? Bree being in such a silly mood! :-) Papa Mark was excited to show the kiddos his lab, and may as well get a home-school science lesson in while he's at it! The highlights, especially for the kids was the demonstration of lightning from the Tesla coil. Day 5: Houston Downtown Aquarium - This was a very small but nice aquarium with a few rides for the young kids. Highlight of this trip with the Shark Tunnel! Day 6: Kemah Boardwalk - halfway back toward Galveston, this boardwalk is a small amusement park on the water. Three of the larger rides were down that day, and I'm sure the highlight would have been the wooden roller coaster. However, since we didn't experience that, the highlight of our trip was the spiral ride to view the area. It was air conditioned on this 106 degree day! :-)
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It was a quick but very fun 3 weeks with the kids. The 2nd weekend of fireworks was a hit, the kids staying in the tent with us was a big hit, and even a special visit from Stephen and Michelle was really awesome!
Near the end of our trip, we wanted to take the kids to the DOW Gardens Tree Walk. They have never been there before, and even though a bit hit, it was a beautiful day all together! If you haven't been to the Tree Walk, visit DOW Gardens in Midland.. You'll LOVE it! This is the month we're making plans to head back to MI for the short summer. It's going to be a fast trip to and from, but we need to make sure we take enough of a break to rest our backs and minds. In the meantime, here are some of our May highlights.
New Congregation: We certainly love our love congregation. Most families are seen like this praying together and over each other. This I think, is very touching, and should be a focus in each family. For Mark and I, taking time to pray with and for each other (together), has strengthened our relationship and helps us know the other one 'has our back'.. Galveston: Just a quick trip to Galveston for a nice bike ride and swim. Mom's Party: Mark took a quick trip to MI to enjoy some family fun at his mom's 85th birthday party. There was a LOT of family there, and it's always great to see the kids too! Our daughter Katie has a friend that is a Ragdoll cat breeder that was going out of business.. So, through some connections, Katie is getting us a purebred Ragdoll kitty. It took some time figuring out which one we wanted, but we chose Naomi because we loved her name and personality. So, we've renovated the RV just a tad and getting ready to adopt our new addition in June. :-). The photo below is Naomi being held by Nora. Just a few pics of Pica, one at the campground and the other on travel day. She loves sleeping in her bike basket during travel. Probably because it keeps her snug & cozy. Our trip home consisted of 5 overnight stops. We chose campgrounds that were close to the freeway so it was a quick on/off. Martin Creek Lake State Park (Texas): This was an absolutely gorgeous campground with very large sites. We will definitely return here. Willow Beach Recreation Area: This was also a gorgeous campground but small and had NO beach. Odd, but we had a beautiful spacious site and we enjoyed 2 nights of rest. Canal Campground: Settled on the north-west side of the Land Between the Lakes, this campground is gorgeous, hilly, and there were no bad sites. Every site had its own private area and view. We loved the many water-view sites, and the swimming beach was good. Still on the way home, our other sites will be in the June Highlights blog. :-) It is always nice to take a break from the 'norm', and we've been looking forward to visiting Corpus Christi for quite a while. Our favorite area? Port Aransas, watching the wild dolphins playing in the bow wave of the ships. :-) Places we visited: Aransas National Wildlife Refuge: This refuge is known for the Whooping Cranes who migrate here in the winter. They were mostly gone when we visited, but we did end up seeing 7 of them from afar. Next year we hope to visit the Whooping Crane festival in February. South Texas Botanical Garden & Nature Center: With a $9 entry fee, this cute botanical garden was more of a unique walk than a garden. They do accept dogs, so we did this on a day we took Pica with us. They have a greenhouse of Orchids which was fabulous, but otherwise just a good excuse for a walk. They had 1 bird out, but the other 20 birds were put away for the day. OSO Bay Wetlands Preserve: Also dog friendly. We didn't see many birds here, but it was a beautiful walk with nicely groomed trails. About 3 miles here. Hans & Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge: A smaller refuge near the bay, Pica walked the boardwalk with us to see the bridge and bar area. About a mile walk, but the boardwalk is in need of repair and it was a bit scary to be on. Most of the time, we carried Pica in fear of her paws stepping on nails. Port Aransas (Dolphins & Pelicans): Oh my, this place is a MUST GO spot if you visit the area! I read that this was a hot-spot for dolphins, and it wasn't long until we found them swimming in the channel! It was pretty common to see them playing around boats, but the most amazing was to see them just play in the bow-wave of the large ships. After this ship arrived in the gulf, the dolphins would disappear for a while, then show up when another ship went by. Just like a bunch of teenagers 'catching their wave' all day.. :-) Texas Aquarium: Reviews on this place were not that great, but we went anyway. We had a good time, but it was way too busy to really enjoy the exhibits. At $35 each, I don't think we'll be back. U.S.S. Lexington: A retired air craft carrier that was involved in Pearl Harbor and World War II. It was commissioned for 40 years before it was finally retired and placed at Corpus Christi. I must say, this was absolutely BY FAR, the best ship tour we've ever had! After 3 hours, we still hadn't seen everything, and we were allowed to tour 6 different decks, the flight deck, the bridge, and LOTS more.. We would also recommend this ship visit if you're in the area, and is well worth the $17/$19 entrance fee. Sea Life Education Center: A small little building and a $9 entrance fee, this place is active in saving the sea turtles and releasing the babies in the summer. Their knowledge is amazing, and it was wonderful to see all the animals in their care. Padre Island: this island is a home to MANY birds, and has over 60 miles of drivable beach, most of which can be camped on. It was beautiful for a day trip, but we quickly learned that the beautiful photos we've seen online are not what the beach is like. We'll be keeping our RV off of this beach. We ended up grabbing a special trash bag from the visitor center and spent our time walking the beach and picking up garbage. Nope. we didn't even make a dent. We don't have to go back. Ever!
Mark and I decided that since we were going to be just an hour from Galveston this winter, we’d take advantage of going on a cruise as part of our 25th anniversary celebration (March was our anniversary month). From the advice of a few friends and family, we booked a basic cruise with Royal Caribbean (RC) on their Adventure of the Seas. We have never been interested in taking a cruise, so this would be an experience we were nervous about, yet excited to experience together. As the day approached, our excitement grew. We found an awesome kennel for Pica and put our RV to bed for a week. The customs process was amazing! Our pre-checklist created a time for a set amount of visitors so the terminal wasn’t bombarded with hundreds of people at a time. We waited for maybe 10, but walked through most lines and check points. Before too long, we were on the ship and on our mission to explore! Setting Sail - - Our stateroom was on the 11th deck. We were in a hallway of just 6 rooms, and we were on the same floor as all the pools, 2-4 bars, slides, and main buffet restaurant. Because the rooms were in the front of the ship beyond the adult only area, it was not in a main walkway or busy location, so it was extremely quiet! For breakfast, it was a short walk from our room down to the other side of the ship to the buffet. In the evening, the jacuzzi was about 100 feet through the doors and around the corner. VERY cool! * Note: If we go on future cruises, we will always look for this type/location of room. We had 2 days at sea, going to Costa Maya and returning to Galveston. On these days, we booked all the events and shows we could manage. We ended up seeing ALL the shows they had to offer; joined in with many trivia get-togethers, and enjoyed watching all the crazy/fun events that other people were taking part of. For instance; 'Friendly Feud', 'Speed wall climbing', and the 'sexiest man competition'.. Ha! I ended up leaving early on that! Most of these events we just watched a little of. Was never interested in the shopping on the main Promenade, nor the unlimited ice cream or pizza.. What we enjoyed the most was walking outside around the decks and watching other boats, the sea, and the stars. Sitting outside in that sea breeze together was priceless! ~ Click on photos to enlarge... ~ Costa Maya - - Costa Maya was our first experience of an excursion. We booked through a 3rd party company, and could not take advantage of our entire tour because there wasn’t enough time. However, they did move us around a little to make it work, and we were still able to see the Mayan Temple. We had a small group, and a great tour guide, so I consider that a LOT better than the large groups booked by the RC excursions. When departing the ship, we walked through a mall of shops geared toward travelers. Everyone was ‘in your face’ about buying their items, and we did not like the pushy sales people. We quickly had fear of going into any store, knowing that they would somehow convince us into buying something we didn’t want. Otherwise, Costa Maya has a LOT to do away from specific excursions. Bike Rental tours, 4-wheeler tours, Lagoon swimming, beach, and just take a taxi to a great location. There is a LOT more to explore here, so don't be afraid to get online and read the reviews. :-) Cozumel - - Cozumel was a lot nicer, but the Dolphin Encounter excursion was still quite the experience. Once again, we had to walk through a mall where all the sales reps met us in the streets and begged us to buy their product. There was no way around this, so we just kept walking. We were eventually whisked away by one of RC’s vans, to our mini lagoon where they had 16 dolphins and enclosed locations for snorkeling and kayaking. Now, we thoroughly enjoyed meeting our dolphin ‘Achilles’, touching him, and seeing all the dolphin tricks up close! This was probably the highlight of my trip at least.. however, we really expected more and hoped to be in a beautiful, calm logoon. Instead, we were at the edge of the sea, and the choppy waves made kayaking scary. Only Mark went snorkeling, and it was just like being in a basic aquarium. The area was stocked with fish, and even though it was a neat experience, the choppy waters reduced clarity and it just wasn't as brilliant as we thought. After speaking with others that have been on many cruises, they suggested NOT getting any excursions, yet walking into town (past all the piranha salespeople, and asking the local people what’s good to do if you only have a few hours. Then, you’d be supporting the real local people, and going to some pretty and less populated areas (the diamonds in the rough). Note: IF we do this and we don’t make it back to the ship, the ship WILL leave, and returning home is on our dime. If we take the ships excursions and we’re late to the ship, the company will get us back on their dime no matter what happens. Before leaving Cozumel, we swam in the cove near the ships. It was a beautiful 85 degree day, and the crystal clear waters were 82 degrees. We really enjoyed playing around in this little cove. Sunsets - - You know, God makes a LOT of beautiful sunsets.. But for some reason, the ones at sea just seem to be extra special. Cruise Highlights - - Highlights of the Cruise: Being our first cruise, we had no real expectations. We were ‘wowwed’ by everything, specifically the size, grandeur, and the professional atmosphere of the entire staff. The dining experience itself was spectacular. We chose traditional late dining, so we ate near the same people every evening at 7:30. I really believe the Lord puts us by people we can connect with, and this time was no different. We made some wonderful friends, and connected with them on several levels. We ended up exchanging contact information and will hopefully stay in touch with them. A really cool experience was an afternoon at the jacuzzi. I met a deaf individual with his hearing friend. Since I’m in the middle of sign language classes, I was able to sign/speak with them a little and they were more than eager to interact with me, teach me a few things and give me some tips. That was the highlight of that day! Here's a few more pictures detailing the ship itself... Final Thoughts - - We really loved how there was something for everyone on the ship. Those who like to party, gamble, shop, arcade and sports, can do those things. For us, it was the shows, the jacuzzi, the ambiance, and the spectacular dining experience. It was really nice that no matter what you like to do, there is something for you on a cruise. We were amazed by the location of our room, and wouldn’t change a thing! It was quiet and comfortable. We had a wonderful stateroom attendant, that made everything perfect for us, including making a new towel animal for us each night. LOVED it! There were many dining options included for cruisers, and the buffet at the Windjammer was the most popular. It had perfect seating, good food, and awesome servers. It was open from 6:30am-11pm for non-stop dining possibilities. Will we go on another cruise? We are not sure yet. We're more apt to fly to a location and enjoy a week, instead of cruising there. However, for anybody that loves the pools, the arcade, casino, slides, and all that cruises have to offer,,, cruising is definitely a great option for them.
Thank you for letting us share.. Feel free to leave us comments. :-)
I'm calling this 'Animal Week' because I took so many shots of the animals in the park!
We also went to dinner with our new friends, and saw a gorgeous sunset! And of course.. The work.. Amongst our play and animal moments we are here to give of our time and talents to help BBSP in areas where they need the most. This week, it included power washing some buildings and cleaning signs! We also cleaned the observation tower, picked up garbage, emptied garbage barrels, cleaned picnic areas, cleaned out fire pits and grills, and checked bathrooms. In the middle of all that, we get a LOT of opportunities to speak with visitors about the area and the alligators! We love that a lot! I have descriptions with the photos. Enjoy! :-) Our official first week of work, and I must say, it was a bit more than I had expected. A lot of training, then bam! On work dutie at the end of the week! It's ok though, we were ready to begin doing the work we had dreamed of.
Being the Host on Duty (HOD) means we are on call from 8am-10pm. We take counts in the morning, answer questions as needed, get the mail, and just drive through the campground and day use areas a few times during the day to make sure everything is going well. Today we also chose to do a little more work that needed to get done before next weekend! Mark offered to detail their van, so before long he had a list 6-days long! I checked all the bathrooms (someone else cleans them), then I flipped the small reservations signs, checked in the dining hall reservation, and cleaned up the day use area that had sand & chalk all over. Fun fun.. So besides having problems with the radio, we had a good first HOD day, and confident enough that we can do this job. The days we're not HOD, we make occasional runs when needed to take of our designated area, which is one day use area (40 acre lake), and the overflow campsites. We also pick up garbage whenever we see it, and talk with visitors. That part is a blast!! So here are some pics from week 1. I just can't get over these trees! Oh yes... and a new camera is on order, so expect some awesome shots coming soon! (I hope).. :-) We are all nestled in to our home for 3 months. We have our uniforms, assignments, and have started training already. We are really going to love this place! What I’m especially excited about? Holding the baby alligators and showing them to visitors!!
Brazos Bend is one of top visited state parks in Texas, with 5000+ acres, a variety of ecosystems, 37 miles of trails, 13 miles of horse trails, Nature center, ranger programs, with 73 modern campsites and 13 primitive tenting sites. They are home to many varieties of birds, 25 varieties of mammals, and 21 species of reptiles. The most common to this park is the American Alligator (which I might add are less aggressive than the crocodile). We are volunteering as park hosts during our stay here, and will also help the rangers with a variety of tasks as needed. We are very excited about this opportunity, and very thankful that Rob & Helen told us about the TX state park volunteer program. Mission Tejas is a beautiful park with a good amount of hiking available, as well as some old unique buildings that tell the story about the Spanish mission that was here. It has a lot of hills though, and was difficult to walk and bike. We had no cell service here, so we just walked a few miles, and were eager to move on to Brazos Bend.
After visiting cousins, we spent a warm day in St. Louis. We toured the free Zoo, and toured the Budweiser plant; only because I love the horses!
The Zoo itself is spectacular! It is very well designed, and I especially loved the monkey area that has been built in a way where the people walk through their exhibit. The Budweiser plant tour was fair, only because we didn't get to actually touch the horses. It was pretty cool to see the bottling facility and how they made it. |