Two Trips to Texas

Last month we headed to Lubbock for the weekend for our 2nd Annual TCU v. Texas Tech football game.  For the 2nd year in a row, TCU did not win.  We may have to end this new tradition if this will be the result every year. Despite the loss, we had a great time hanging out with family and allowing the cousins to reunite once more.  Conny found a great sunflower field near my parent's house, so we drug Greg and kids to take some pictures.

 The kids do best when they can produce a silly face.

The boys had a pretty good time at the game - if there is the possibility of Dippin Dots, Ryan can make it through the game.  However, he did not like the fireworks at the beginning and end.  I'm not too sure if they will ever be football fans.

Last weekend we headed out for our 2nd trip to Texas and went to the Dallas/Fort Worth area for a family wedding.  My cousin, who I think was in the 6th grade when Greg and I got married, had her wedding.  It was a chance to hang out with family at a different venue.

 I think my favorite part (besides the video below), was getting on the dance floor with my sister, mom, dad, and Luke and dancing to some great music from a live band.

 Luke loves to dance - and he has his own very unique style.  He asked me to take his picture of him dancing, but no video.  No picture could capture this greatness.

 My dad officiated the wedding.  However, a fast moving thunderstorm for the outdoor ceremony forced him to cut out much of his part and skip to the vows.  He did get to share the sweet story of how his mother and father got married in their Model T Ford because it was raining outside and the preacher's wife was sick inside with the flu.

 Conny and her family not only enjoyed the wedding, but had a good time in Dallas celebrating Jacob's 9th birthday (how did that happen?).

The next day, Greg and my dad headed to the Cowboy Stadium for the Bronco game.  The boys, mom, and I drove to TCU to show the boys the campus, and of course get some new t-shirts.

 I was able to show Ryan and Luke the chapel where Greg and I got married.  Ryan was very fascinated with the church and the campus in general.  He wanted to know if he could go to TCU and get married in the chapel some day, too.

 Love my Horned Frogs and I miss the beautiful campus.

On Monday, before our flight home, we took Ryan and Luke to the Texas State Fair.  I don't think any State Fair is like Texas'.  It is massive and lots of fun.  Greg would probably also like to point out that it costs a fortune - but the boys had a great time.  We got to see the new Big Tex.  The previous one caught on fire last year and burned to the ground.  New Big Tex still waves his hand and welcomes people - he is also a little more proportionate and not quite as creepy looking as the old one.

 We skipped the Farris wheel.  The line was too long for our short time - plus I tend to not have good experiences on them.

 The boys loved all of the rides.  They wanted to go on a haunted house ride by themselves.  Ryan was so excited and nervous that he wrapped his arm around Luke the whole time.

 They could have spent all day and all of Greg's money at the Fair.

And of course, we had to go to the Midway.  Notice Greg holding Ryan's ears - this game involved filling up a balloon to make it pop in order to win - Ryan does not like loud noises, but he did win.


In between our 2 trips, Samson got sick very quickly.  Greg and I have had Sam since he was 2 weeks old and we brought him, him mom (Ellie), and his brothers and sisters home from the Humane Society in Beaumont 12 years ago.  Sam started to lose weight this summer and was slowing down quite a bit in the last month.  He went blind over night a couple of weeks ago and was extremely lethargic.  The vet told us he had diabetes and we could spend a few thousand dollars and make countless trips to the clinic for insulin shots - and maybe buy him another year.  We decided it would be better to put him down.  Ryan and Luke were pretty sad about it, but we gave them a few days to process and say good bye before taking him in.  They were happy to take a few last pictures with him.  Ryan is glad that Sam has a new body now in heaven.