thanksgiving

Alex, Max, Reggie and Maya

Grandma Patsy and the babies

Our newest cousin Kalia.

Baby push-up contest.

Aubrey, Marci and Maya.

Marianne and Maya.

Great-grandpa and Max

We had a wonderful time with family over the Thanksgiving holiday. It seemed like the parties never stopped. The kids loved the attention but were a little overwhelmed with the constant partying. I am afraid they will be bored with just me at home now. Thank you to all of you for making our holiday so memorable. We miss you and wish the distance between us wasn't so far.

babies meet the alligators, alligators meet the babies

With family in town for Labor Day weekend, we decided to take the kids out for their first hike. There are several reasons we hadn't done this earlier: 1) Houston is REALLY hot this time of year, even at night. 2) Getting out the house with two babies is quite complicated. 3) Because the babies had a hard time getting started with breastfeeding, I was afraid of being away from the breastpump for more than 3 hours. 4) Making milk for two babies wears me out.

We were able to leave the house at about 9:00am. Surprisingly, the weather was not too hot. We went to Brazos Bend State Park, and we walked around 40 acre lake. It is a great park with lots of walking trails and trees covered in Spanish moss. It is also a wonderful place to bird watch and see alligators. The bigger alligators (10-14 feet) are easier to see in the spring, but we still were able to see several medium sized (4-6 feet) alligators and probably over 20 little ones.

Then while some of our group enjoyed touring the visitors center, I fed the babies under a big, shady tree on a park bench. (This mobile breastfeeding is great, it is ready anywhere and anytime.) After working up an appetite, we went to the Swinging Door and had great Texas BBQ. You gotta love a BBQ place that serves baked beans and potato salad as "vegetables".

When we got home, the guys watched football, I took and nap, and the grandmas and Zaley went to the mall.

It was a perfect Texas day.

Max in the carrier with mom.

Maya taking a nap with dad. The blankets were used to shield their fair skin from the sun, not to make them sweat more than they already did.

Small alligator lurking in the mossy water.

The lake was covered with huge lily pads and flowers.

lake powell slideshow

lake powell with the mercers

Last week, we spent several days at Lake Powell with the Mercer family. I grew up spending many days at the lake waterskiing, kneeboarding, and wakeboarding. We spent enough time waterskiing that I have often joked that I waterskiied before I was born (in my mother's womb, although it's probably not likely since I was born in April).

When I was growing up, my family would make at least one trip to Lake Powell every year, but recently we hadn't been on a family trip to Lake Powell for several years. So when my parents and siblings purchased a timeshare on a houseboat, we all got excited for a trip back to Lake Powell. We filled up the houseboat and enjoyed a wonderful time together. And Alisa experienced her first trip to Lake Powell.

-Lonnie

funny faces.....

Eden making funny faces.


Eden and Logan

We had a great visit in Pueblo, Colorado with my cousin Heidi and her family. Thank you so much Heidi and Brain for hosting us at your lovely house!
-Alisa

soy un hijo de dios

Soy un hijo de Dios;
El me envió aquí.
Me ha dado un hogar
Y padres buenos para mí.
Guíenme; enséñen-me la senda a seguir
Para que algún día yo con El pueda vivir.

Je suis un enfant de Dieu
et Il m'a mis ici.
Il m'a donne un bon foyer
et parents si gentils.
Conduit-moi et marche avec moi
sur le bon chemin
dites-moi tout ce qu'il faut faire
de te connaitre enfin.

Sou um filho de Deus
Por ele estou aqui
Mandou-me a terra
Deu-me um lar
E pais tao bons pra mim
Ensinai-me, ajudai-me
As leis de Deus guardar
Para que um dia eu va
Com ele habitar

I am a child of God
and he has sent me hear.
Has given me an earthly home,
with parents kind and dear.
Lead me, Guide me,
Walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do,
To live with Him someday.

Last night Lonnie and I went to my cousin Loretta's house. Loretta and her husband Teboho and two kids, Malika and Tabo live close to us and we get together often.

Before putting the kids to bed, we all sat together, said prayers and sang "I am a Child of God" in as many languages as we could. Together with Loretta (who speaks; English, French, Malagasy and Swahili, Teboho (her husband from South Africa, who speaks more languages that I can count), Lonnie (who speaks Portuguese and Spanish) and myself (who speaks Spanish) we were able to sing the beautiful song in several different languages. Tabo and Malika sang some sort of a medley between them all.

We pray that we will one day be given the blessing of caring for and parenting a divine child of God in our earthly home.

-Alisa