After spending spring break with my family- they decided to follow me back down to Houston! We decided to go to the beach on Friday and had a BLAST. (be jealous, the beach is 45 minutes from our doorstep...which is super close for us) and it was so nice!! We had a blast playing and the kids were exhausted by the time we got home!! 
Almost as scary as the movie-- but not quite. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law came in town for the Houston Rodeo and of course had to take the kids to Chuck-e-cheese. The kids had a blast, and we love that family lives so close that they want to come and share the weekend with us!! My mother-in-law even took the older kids back up with her to finish off the weekend!! 
We had the opportunity to welcome my sister home from her 18 month mission to Argentina (Roasario). It was so much fun being there when she came off the plane, and being able to be with her while noticing all the change and development she had happen while out there. Here are some pictures from the day-
Have you heard of the Junie B. Jones books?
Halle's teacher has been reading these books to the kids...I didn't know what they were about so I decided to pick some of them up from the library. Wow. I was absolutely horrified. Bad behavior, bad grammar, even bullying (all of it uncorrected or unpunished, and even contextualized as cute). I was basically stopping on every page, and noting aloud how naughty Junie was, or how she'd used a bad word, or she wasn't using correct words, etc. I had to spend more time explaining Junie's bad actions and bad language than I did actually immersing ourselves in the story. Do I really have to explain how naughty she is being...while trying to read the story??
Of course I got online to see if I was the only one that felt this way (sometimes we feel like we are too strict...maybe this is one of those moments?) I found some info on the author, who pretty much spent the article justifying parental concerns about her books as a censorship issue, and it's anything but. I have no interest in "banning" Junie B. Jones. I simply don't think it's appropriate especially for a Kinder class.
I know that it is hard to find parents who are as strict with their kids about exposure to this or that. I know people who count themselves as normal parents who barely govern the TV, movies and music their kids take in -- and think that parents who are as strict as we are are...well thought of as party poopers.
Are we the only ones out there that are looking for a great book, for little kids (specifically girls) to get into, to enjoy, and most of all to admire/look up to?
We just started Ivy + Bean, hoping this one is a whole lot better than Junie. I don't think I can take another horrid book.
I think I have mentioned that we have a family pass to the Houston Zoo- it is such a great zoo! And the best part is that we live 15 minutes from it! The boys and I have become frequent guests at the zoo, and each time I try picking a certain area to go to...that way we can keep the rotation going! Here are some pics from our most recent adventure-
Bennett and Miles both loved the huge fish- Bennett is showing me his favorite one.
Miles has gotten into the pointing also
Such an exhausting trip to the zoo!! 
As we were walking out- we also got to pet a lizard, a coral snake, and another snake. The lady told me that the last snake that we got to pet was a fantastic family pet...I told her I grew up in the country where the only good snake was a dead one. I don't think she appreciated my comment.
We just received one of the nicest most thoughtful presents...ever.
Some friends of ours back in Vegas sent us this picture. As a thoughtful way of saying thanks to my sweet husband who worked with the youth back in Vegas. We are both blown away by their touching gift, and the beauty of this gift. The painting is GORGEOUS...the most talented piece of art we own. We were both hoping one day to own a picture of the Dallas Temple that was nice (as we were married there just about 7 years ago), but knew that there were alot of other things that would need to be purchased first (how about couches to start with...) anyway- we are so excited to be able to hang this and it just makes us realize how much we do miss our old friends. Check out his other work, he is a really talented photographer. (And to make him even more talented, I think I remember hearing that he develops all of his own photos, and does everything by hand.)
Interested in the fact that we don't own couches right now?? It is fun...it is called lots of pillows and blankets on the floor to watch movies. We actually sold our couches back in Vegas because we didn't want to move with them (they were dieing anyway) so we figured we would move here, live in an apartment until we found a home, then get couches. These 6 months are hard when we have nowhere soft to sit....
Let's start this story back on Wednesday.
Of course the cat starts acting lethargic...
fast forward to Saturday night...she starts throwing up.
(que the oh geeeez...seriously....)
Sunday she isn't eating anything and continues to throw up, but by now there isn't anything left in her stomach. So she is wondering around the house all day just throwing up stomach bile...
Monday- we decide it might be best if we go to the vet...haven't been to the vet here and just look into going to one close. Everyone recommends a certain vet, and a dr.
This Dr doesn't have any openings...
All the vets that we have been to have been nice, reputable, and easy to work with when we say "We love our cat...but it is a cat"
So we just see the vet with the closest opening.
I get in at 8:45 a.m. for my appointment (scheduled appointment here)
The vet sees us at 10 a.m. (mind you I do have my 1 and 3 year old with me)
She says this is serious...
we do x-rays... all she finds is a giant gas bubble so nothing is stuck in there.
We do blood work...because it is serious... (did you know that it is just a "little bit" cheaper to send bloodwork out rather than to do it in house?? TRY 50 BONES CHEAPER) We send the blood work out (duh)
We finish all of this at 11 freakin 30.
Total time we saw the Dr. = 15 minutes.
NOT HAPPY...but maybe this will cure her, we will find out what happened.
4 Hours later, she finally throws up a giant huge hairball.
A HAIRBALL.
good thing the vet sent us home with antibiotics...
