Baseball Cards, Football Cards, Basketball Cards

So, Atticus and some of our neighborhood boys are really into sports cards of all kinds. Well, this one particular day was just one of my favorite days to watch them! They were trading and then decided they wanted to setup a table for people to buy or trade their cards in our neighborhood. Atticus took a card table and a made a sign and they traded and sold and it was so fun! They were out there all afternoon. I went out and they tried to sell me all kinds of things for lots of money! They definitely didn't know the value of their own cards - which was pretty low. They had one neighbor actually buy some and then mostly, they traded with each other or sold to each other. Atticus was an easy sell, I'm afraid, but he had so much fun. In this world where all you hear is how terrible kids are these days because they are addicted to screen time, it is nice to know that our kids are not and that they know how to play and know how to get along with kids and have fun. Technology and screen time are just going to be part of things in their lifetimes, but watching them just be kids too is so satisfying.

 Atticus, Weston, Luc, Will & another kid not from our neighborhood

July 23: Wagners Going Away Party

When I started working at TWRI many years ago, we started making many friends who got married, had kids and are still friends today! One of those families was the Wagners. Cecilia and Kevin were working at TWRI and only engaged when I began and they have been such good friends to us since then. Kevin was my boss at one time, and Cecilia has been a wonderful mom friend to have all of these years! Vic and Kevin have even run the TIR together. They have 4 daughters and 1 son and this past summer, they decided they needed to make a move to Oklahoma. Kevin took a new job at OSU, so off they went. However, Meghan and Lucas, their closest friends, decided to throw them a surprise party to say goodbye from our TWRI crew! Though many of TWRI group has moved on to other jobs or retired or are stay at home moms, some are still at TWRI and most are still in Bryan/College Station so almost all of them made it to the party! It was a fun way to see everyone and catch up! And I want to document all of the families that have come together since Dr. Harris started hiring this very special group many years ago (with ages of kiddos on this day). He truly had a knack for putting together the best group of recent college graduates to make TWRI so successful!

Dr. Bill & Janie Harris
Kevin & Cecilia Wagner: Josie (10), Evelyn (8), Isabelle (7), Luke (3), Vivian (5 months)
Lucas & Meghan Gregory: Lizzy (9), Lane (6), Hannah (1)
Justin & Danielle Kalisek: Jase (4), Reed (7 months)
Allen & Lacy Berthold: one on the way!

Not at the party, but still part of the TWRI Crew:
Seth & Courtney Smith: Mitchell (5), Clarke (3), and Patrick (8 months)
Russell & Megan Meier: Cole (8) and Nathan (4)
Garrett & Leslie Lee: Andrew (I think 3) and Parker (I think 1)
And then us: Vic & Sarah: Atticus (6), Grace (4), and Everly (1).

So the fun fact about this is that basically, Dr. Harris got to have almost 21 grandchildren by this time in July 2017! And this crew had 7 weddings while employed at TWRI! These are the people we did Happy Hours with before kids; threw wedding showers and then baby showers for; made meals when they had babies and visited them in the hospital; got together for birthdays and special events! It is just a great crew that I wish I still saw ALL of every day1 How crazy are those fun facts!

Okay here is our quick picture! And a few more just because.

 

July: Camp Erwin Post 3 - Saddleshop Pics, Adley, Swimming & 4th of July

On Monday morning, we woke up and finally took Saddle Shop pictures of Everly. Long ago, mom and dad would take baby pictures of us in the saddle shop laying on sheepskin. So, we continued the tradition with our kids. However, it is best to do it when they are little and lay on their tummies and don't move around a lot. Well...it took us over a year to get it done with Everly. So, she was squirmy wormy but we got a couple cute pictures! And you will have to look at the outtakes. They are all jumbled together. I love how to get her on her tummy, we had to hold her little feet to get her to stay still. Then, of course, usually, you can't see her little parts because she is on her tummy, but you kind of do in these. At least this is just a family blog. I need to learn photoshop to blur those out! She played, she sat, and as with our little Everly who does not show her smiles all the time, she stayed pretty stoic. But, it was a good memory! Oh and when you see these, don't you worry - Grandma was constantly a millimeter out of the shot so Everly wouldn't crash to the ground! :)

After taking photos, we headed to Stormy & Tabatha's house to visit and let the kids play with Adley. They had the best time and so did we! Even Shannon and Jenny came by to visit. All was good until Atticus fell off the bed and hit his head on the corner of a dresser. Eeks - it bled pretty good and had a little hole in his head. I stay pretty calm with things like that, but I was still really glad Jenny was there because she looked at it and assured us that while the head will bleed pretty good, it looked just fine and did not need a stitch. He perked up again soon and they played and played until we had to leave. Every time I'm visiting with them, it makes me wish we lived so much closer! Adley is just so cute too, and right between Atticus and Grace, age-wise so it is fun for them to be friends!

After we left the McCuistion's house, we were already packed and ready and headed straight to Ana & Charley's house in Lewisville. Since we were going to do the 4th of July celebrations with the Erwin's at their house the next day anyways, we made an extra night of it. We swam and swam in their pool all evening!

The next morning was the 4th of July! Ana was planning to attend a Zumba class so I went with her.  And the kids were ready to decorate and dress up for the day! They started in pajamas and everything red, white and blue!

 

 When we got back from Zumba, Grace wanted to bake cupcakes. She loves to bake and help in the kitchen. And she especially loves to taste the batter. Want to know a funny story? So, we needed vegetable oil for the cupcakes and Ana told us the oil was in the pantry. We looked and looked and finally Vic asked her for help and she pulled out olive oil. She and Charley used olive oil for everything and don't even buy vegetable oil. Well, poor Ana - Vic will never let her live that down! Now, Vic just teases and says that they are waayyy above us if they only use olive oil and probably even bathe in it! We laughed and laughed and still do about that! But, it made some delicious cupcakes!

 Oh and while Grace was baking, Atticus got to play lots of Mario Cart! Ana and Charley's house is just too fun!

 Grace's finished product is in the back! Also, below I was trying to take a picture of Grace's hair - I had been really working on her french braids and slowly getting better. But, isn't the second photo just so pretty of our little Grace?

After the rest of the Erwins trickled in at lunch, we spent the rest of the day in the pool. Pa's back had been hurting pretty bad around then, so he, Melbo and GG didn't swim that day. But, everyone else did. There was beer pong played (minus the beer-we just poured the cups of water out!), lots of swimming, eating and then at the end of the day, we celebrated Melbo and Pa's 70th wedding anniversary!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

70 years! We did big parties for them at 50 and 65, but they didn't want one this time. So, we had a mini celebration with a cake (and I did a terrible job of adding sprinkled icing to say 70 years, but oh well!) and GG planned a "not-so-newlywed game" for all of the married couples to play. It was pretty impressive how much couples knew about each other (or sometimes how little). We split the spouses and GG asked us each questions and then we gathered together to answer them and guess what the other person had to say!

And I can not believe I do not have a photo of Melbo and Pa, except for this one. I have searched everyone's phones and my camera but I know Pa's back was hurting that day and I bet I just didn't bother them to pose for a picture. But, here is one of them. Married since July 12, 1947!

Everyone headed home and we stayed one more night before we spent our last day of Camp Erwin vacation in DFW. The kids were exhausted!