April Adventures

April is long gone but here are some pictures of that month.

We enjoyed a Saturday at some of our friends that live an hour North of here for all kinds of outside activities and a Pot Luck picnic lunch. This first picture is of the family's pet goat who will perform to get a snack, such as potato chips. She does a dance on her back legs to get them.



One of the activities was a pasture bike race. Tommy is somewhere hidden behind someone in this picture. No he didn't win the prize. But he did do something very noble. One of the teenaged boy's bike got a broken chain 1/2 way around the first lap so Tommy gave him his bike so the boy could finish the race and walked the broken bike back to home base.


Now this is the real biker dude. He had to give up running so he picked up biking.

Our first hot dog cookout of the season.

Dinner with some of our favorite people.

This is one of my very cute nephews, Caden. We went for a week of R&R to Lake Travis out of Austin and on the way we stopped for lunch with Sheila and this little guy. He is showing off his favorite motor bike toy and rider.

This is the condo we stayed in and we had the perfect view of the lake from our balcony. Every evening we could sit out and eat our dinner and watch the sunset. Every time we left the condo we would see deer. The header picture is one of many that we saw. Real deer country.

March Catch Up

The first weekend in March we made a trip to the Beaumont/Houston area for business and to visit our relatives. These first two pictures are of a Russian tanker ship going down the river by Tommy's old home place. This was often what he saw out the windows of his home. Very interesting to watch. (Click to enlarge.) Blogger is being very frustrating today. It will not let me put spaces where they are needed so I appoligize for any confusion of what explination goes with what picture.

Notice the two little tug boats on either side to help guide it up the river.

This is great niece Miss Olivia, Sabrina's daughter. She is a little doll.

Olivia with great nephews, Kyler and Keaton, Rachel's twin boys. Olivia call's them "her boy's. She walks around and say's "Where are my boy's" or "I'm going to find my boy's." More like brother's and sister than cousins.

A few days this past week we spent in Austin and one day we went to the Oasis for lunch. If you are ever in Austin, this place is a must see. It is on a hill overlooking Lake Travis and has the most awsome view. It is called the "Sunset Capitol of Texas." The food is Mexican, with some steak or seafood also on the menu. We had their Nacho's and they were very good. This place will be on our list of places to go and eat when we are in the area.

Entrance

The view from our table.

About 1:30 the sun began to make it's appearance on the tables, so out come the umbrella's.

Another view of the lake from our area.

The restaurant has many different levels of patio's so everyone can have a good view, unless a umbrella is is in the way, but you can usually move your chair around and still see good. However, that is what makes lunch time the best time to go, no umbrella's yet or be able to get on first or second row of tables.

One of the multi million dollar homes you can see on the side of hill.

Today Tommy planted some flowers and here are the results. This is our own little "Oasis."

Birthday Times Two

Last weekend we were in Georgia celebrating Tommy and Chloe's birthdays. We missed Laura, as she had gone to NM to support her best friend who had just lost her Dad. Laura was close to the family so it was nice she could go but we did miss her. We arrived Thursday afternoon and it was a beautiful warm and spring like day so Chloe thought they should play football. She is beginning to get into the game.


Even the dog, Sadie, got in on the game.


Garrett just wanted to sit on the porch and play a game on the iTouch.


Now he is on his scooter.


Then he decided to join the football game. He is after Grandpa who was on his way for a touchdown.


All of them in on the action.


The kids were supposed to be on Spring Break but had to go to school all week because of 5 snow days that they had to make up. So on Friday they had gotten permission to play hooky to have some extra time with us. They decided they wanted to go bowling. There is one area that is dark with colored lighting and they think this is so cool. We ate lunch while they played and that is always fun also.





Saturday we went to a Museum nearby that is very appealing to kids. Here they are in the Dinosaur area.


In the Planetarium waiting for the show.


Astronaut Garrett.


And Astronaut Chloe.


On a fossil dig.


Panning for little fossil's.


On a huge fossil rock.


Saturday night was Birthday time. We grilled Hot Dogs.


Getting ready to dig in.





Not his birthday but he deserves a present too.


Chloe with her bag full of goodies. Do you wonder what this big smile is about??


A Justin Bieber tote bag. If you have any 10 year old girls around, you will understand the thrill.


Her "Life is Sweet" shirt.


Now the best part, a Chocolate Brownie cake, Wish the candles would have showed up better. When they are lit, the flame is the same color as the candles. It was very pretty.


We left Tuesday morning and since there was no one else there to take our picture, we had to split up in two pictures.

Lots of other fun activities, like visiting the frozen yogurt shop 3 times while we were there, but this seems to be all the camera took. It was a great visit with fun celebrations.

Southern Snow Removal Engineer

Engineers are very interesting to live with. They are always trying to build a better mouse trap or in this case, somekind of southern snow removal equipment. After being cooped up within the same 4 walls for 5 days, you will try and use your brain power to come up with a way to get OUT. He did want to keep his wife in an upright position from the back door to the car sooooooooo this seems like very logical thinking!!!! Cheddar's here we come.


First he used a shovel to remove the 6 inches of snow, but that left a 1/2 inch of stubborn ice, so brain kicks into engineerical mode and says, "Place car exhaust over patch of ice and let it idle and melt ice." Well that did work somewhat, but very slow process.




Checking the progress of thought process. Altho head is not visable, it is there and THINKING.

While the process is in progress, I check out the icicles.

Second engineerical idea kicks in. Yes, that is a leaf blower. Now let me explain how it works. While blower is running, you set it on a patch of ice and the hot motor melts the ice and then you blow it off and move it to another section. Time consuming, but hey, it works. We safely made it to Cheddar's and all in an upright condition. Now late afternoon, and we have mostly dry pavement back. I told Tommy, concrete never looked so good.