12 Days of Bliss

Be prepared. This post is my longest ever...it's 12 glorious days spent with Nana and Papa when they came to visit us in Mexas.

Tavin, Kirra, and I drove to San Antonio (4 1/2 hour drive) to pick them up on April 1. I texted them to tell them I missed a turn and drove an hour in the wrong direction, so I would be 2 hours late. APRIL FOOLS! Instead we were going to surprise them and be at the baggage claim. Right when we pulled up to the airport, Tavin sPEwEd ALL OVER the car, himself, and his carseat. The joke was on me. Let's just say it was a great welcome to Nana and Papa and one LONG, SMELLY ride home! Who knew Dollar General carried decent looking children's clothes?

To be quite honest, there sure isn't a whole lot to do down here. We could have kayaked down the Rio Grande (and maybe picked up a few swimmers). We could have gone to Sam's Club on Saturday and stared in amazement. We even could have tried to cross the border (if we had a death wish). (A guy in our ward has been taken to work across the border in an armored truck lately and another guy had a lockdown at his because of all the gunfire going on outside.)

We did manage to have some fun. :)

We watched Conference together, Mom and I decorated eggs with the kids, and the Easter Bunny brought a basket for everyone. It was so fun to have them with us for Easter even if Dad did eat everybody's candy and even the replacements he bought.
My good friends Amelia and Franklyn came over to watch a session of General Conference and have Easter dinner with us. We loved that they were willing to try our American Easter dinner. They didn't know what our fruity, coolwhip jello was and had never had funeral potatoes! :) Amelia is having lessons with the missionaries because she is interested in our church. She is an AMaZInG woman who survived being beaten and shot twice by her ex. When she awoke in the hospital she was told this monster had killed her 3 sons and mother. It's only been 1 year and 4 months since they passed. She is stronger than she knows and I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints can bring her the peace she seeks. I feel blessed to belong to a church that teaches we will be with our family again after this life! I can't wait to see her hold her boys and hug her mom!

We headed out to South Padre Island. Would have been a perfect day without the insane winds.

Stopped at a crazy gift shop on the way home. This place seriously felt like I was in a Pee-Wee Herman movie!!!


Played dress-up in the gift shop.
Saw the movie, How To Train Your Dragon. I give it 5 stars!!! GO SEE IT. Tavin is going again with his daddy. Papa already got him Toothless and the giant dragon from the movie because he is obsessed.

Ate at Chick-fil-A more times than one human should in a year. Nana and Papa can't say no to Tavin. Also ate at Rudy's. The best BBQ around and it's in a gas station.

Shopped, shopped, and shopped some more to update this place. The residents at Brett's nursing home have been so excited about all the new furniture. I'll post before and after pics when it's painted and decorated. Dad spent a day prepping the inside for the painters and testing out paint colors for the inside and the roof. (This is the old furniture and decor!!!) Went to Chuck E. Cheese on the busiest night ever! I would have turned around and walked out if Tavin hadn't been telling me every day for the last 2 months he was going there with Nana and Papa.
Had a double date night to the Republic of the Rio Grande (where Brett tried Quail) and to Clash of the Titans.

Dad and Brett golfed. Luckily most of the course curved to the right because that's the way Brett's ball likes to go when he hits it.

Drove back to San Antonio for a few days. Brett and I, thanks to Mom and Dad, went to the temple. We ate and ate some more. Dad found his FAVORITE place, Longhorn Steakhouse and I got to eat at mine, Olive Garden.

Kirra loved to ride on Papa's shoulders, but she loved to mess up his hair even more.

We went to The Alamo and walked the River Walk . Can I just say A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.? (Never knew this shirt made me look pregnant. I'm NOT. Wish I were, but I'm NOT!)

We were most excited to go to Sea World...only to find out it's closed except for weekends. Who has ever heard of an amusement park only being open on the weekends, esp. Sea World!!! Instead we tried to fill the void by going to a Dinosaur Museum, Children's Museum, and the San Antonio Zoo...all in one day.
Ate lunch at a SUPER YUMMY hamburger joint called Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers. Yum! YUM!

Hotter than Hades inside the butterfly greenhouse, but so fun because the butterflies kept landing on us.
Tavin loved that this zoo had elephants.
My favorite part of the whole day was Lory Landing at the zoo. Tavin, Brett, Dad, and I bought nectar and took it in to feed the birds. It was hilarious. They were crazy and one even pooped on Brett. Tavin loved it until I screamed and scared him. I was trying to video tape, but the birds bit the lid off my nectar and kept biting my hair and earrings.

We were pretty tuckered out at the end of the day, to say the least.

Mom and Dad, can you come back? We miss you too much already!!! Kirra wanders around the house saying, "Nana? Papa?"