The Lone Star State

The first weekend of November we took off for Texas for a visit to my grandparents. Let me just say that it is a PROCESS to get three young children and my over-packing self ready for a trip. On a plane. Where there are limits on the amount of baggage I'm willing to pay for.

The morning started super early with grogginess, a quick ride to the airport, and a breakfast of egg muffins while waiting for the plane. I have to admit I was hesitant to find joy in the flight as we didn't purchase Spencer a seat and he's....well....busy. All of the kiddos were troopers and with Chadwick to be the voice of calm, all was well. The girls love flying and Spencer was ecstatic to see all the planes from the window. The flights were uneventful, the layover short and sweet, and with 30 minutes left in the second leg, my sweet boy was starting to reach the end of his rope. He normally doesn't have access to our iPad but I downloaded a few games and learned about the wonders of "guided access" prior to our adventure so he was happily distracted enough to get through the flights, both to and from the Lone Star State. I'm so proud of how well they all did!

We flew into San Antonio where we met my mom and Mark at the airport - they brought a car seat for Spencer so we didn't have to check all three seats in Boise. They also brought fresh faces, three boxes of books and toys, and snacks. It was a welcome treat. The girls went off with their grandparents while Chadwick and I took the sleepy toddler to get our rental van and meet the others. Yup, we became minivan people for a weekend and while there are so many pluses to that type of vehicle, I was glad to come back to my Honda Pilot upon returning home. This little man of mine woke up at 5:00 and was still going at 3:00 pm central time. He finally gave up and passed out in the car for a much needed nap. Found the hotel, checked in, let the girls play on the playground (the hotel itself wasn't great but I would stay there again for the playground, a brilliant idea if I've ever seen one!). It's amazing how one feels like a new person with a change of clothes and a freshly washed face. With that, we were ready to tackle the rest of the day.

Friday evening we braved the tangle of road and found our way down to the Riverwalk, a place I remember from a childhood visit to that town. The girls begged for a boat ride and because the grandparents were eager to spoil, off we went on the Riverwalk for a tour. Spencer stayed dry and we got a great view of the area with some history. We could see the Christmas lights hanging from the tree branches in anticipation of the upcoming holiday. Floating the Riverwalk during December is now on my bucket list. We ended with a late dinner that seemed to take forever and a day to get to the table. We had tired children in the back of the van on the ride to the hotel!

When in Texas, Chadwick must run in Texas, so he registered for the Friends of Government Canyon 15K. It was his first trail run (compared to the road races he usually runs) and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was slippery from rain the previous day and he spent the run slipping on rocks, destroying his shoes and injuring his knee to some extent. The other challenge was the humidity...not something we can train for here in the Idaho desert. Chadwick finished second place overall in his race Saturday morning despite the difficulty of the terrain and weather.

After a quick shower and some food, we packed up both cars and went back downtown to see the historic Alamo. Spencer was interested in the squirrels climbing trees and running any direction but where we wanted him, Mallorie kept asking when it was time to leave, and Morgan and Chadwick wanted to read every word of every placard in the vicinity. Morgan got to participate in a re-enactment of loading a weapon from that time period. What a process!!

Off to Uvalde, 84 miles west of San Antonio. The drive was easy and we arrived mid-afternoon. It was great to see the home where Nell and Poppi have lived for many years and the kids were thrilled to be out of the car for a while.

Someone carved a smiley face into this prickly pear. We laughed as we drove down the street to their house each morning.

They were great hosts and had done a nice job of clearing most of the breakables from the main living room so Spencer didn't ruin too many items. Every evening, Nell putts out into the yard in her motorized scooter to feed the deer that live in the neighborhood. There were at least 6-7 that come every night when they hear the lid to the metal trashcan that holds the corn. The girls were entranced and promptly drew several pictures of the deer while they were feeding. It was also fun to watch Poppi interact with the children. As a scientist, he is naturally curious and was delighted by the curiosity and desire to learn that my children possess. He was down on the ground pointing out bugs, butterflies, deer tracks, and anything else the little ones were investigating. Nell watched the chaos with a bemused smile and stayed out of our traffic. Lunches at the park, stories read, blocks built, pictures colored, and lots of talking filled our days.

A small gecko welcomed us into the Griffen-Graham home....running through the tile in the entryway as we walked inside the first day.

I love that Spencer can take what is available to make a tower. Or a pile. He's obsessed with shoes.

I'm glad to have taken the time to make that plane ride. I'm glad my grandparents had the chance to get to know more about these great-grandchildren. And grateful for my parents who made the long drive from Albuquerque to bring a car seat, toys, books, and love.

What fun we had!