MLK 2019 - 14 years minus a couple?

I would actually have to make our MLK group go back and remember each year and add them up, but it's pretty close to 12ish years that we have gotten together and I hope it continues for 75 more! That would make us old, but wouldn't it be great?

So, for this year's MLK, we actually congregated in College Station. In the end, this was really nice because our little crew just gets bigger every year and as they get older, it's easier to leave them, but I was having a hard time making GG keep all 3 kids, plus get Atticus to basketball and deal with school pickup, etc. all by herself. So, when everyone mentioned coming to CS, I was relieved and so excited! We rented a big house over close to the Historical District close to campus. It was a great house (though the owner was hard to get along with after we checked out and wanted to charge us $80+ dollars for some towels he said we ruined - ugh). But, it was great for giving us all enough space and bathrooms and quiet space for Mary and I because we also had Dean and Hazel along for the trip. In some ways, MLK is the same every year because we tend to do the same stuff over and over - lots of good food, visiting, and hanging out. But, at the same time, it is THE BEST trip every year because we can all do those things and have the best time and want to come back again and again. It's always a little more work with the babies, but everyone just scoops our babies up to love on them and help us with them. Mary and I have now spent 4 MLK's in a row being pregnant or having a nursing baby with us. And Katie has been pregnant during one too!

So, we gathered Friday afternoon. It was nice being so close because on that day, we ended up having someone to come out and fix our washer at the last second. And, it was great because we had been getting down all of Atticus's clothes we had saved for years (in case we had another boy) to prepare for a spring garage sale. So, I loaded a bunch up and Mary went through 4 or 5 boxes and bags of clothes to take back for her boys. So, being in CS was super convenient for those reasons too. We got Wings N More Friday night and I spent a long time getting Hazel to sleep. She was in a stage of going to bed really late, but also taking a long time to nurse before settling down for the night. Once she was asleep, we were good though and she would sleep a good 10-12 hours in a row. On Saturday, Vic took everyone to the new A&M Conference Hotel on campus for fun drinks and I think to the Chicken maybe? He even took Hazel because I went back home to grab Atticus and take him to his basketball game. I hated for him to miss but I didn't want GG to have to do that with the girls too. Plus, I love to see him do his activities and I was too close to not take him (another perk of location this year!) We ate some more delicious food that night and hung out some more. On Sunday afternoon, we headed to Century Square. Some of us went to Ulta and then back and Mary and I had crepes at Sweet Paris while everyone else had fun drinks. Katie and Kirsten and Johnathan came by during the weekend to visit as well as Cady, David & Holly. On Monday, we got lunch and then everyone went home. See? Food, visiting, hanging out. :)

It was a great weekend!

MLK Weekend 2018 with Veretts

Our MLK weekend trip with the Verett crew was held in Austin, Texas this year. As always, a great time! We did the usual: sleep in, stay up late, eat delicious food, visit a lot, and laugh more! We ventured out one day for a movie to see The Greatest Showman, but otherwise, we took advantage of this great house! Lots of room, awesome kitchen, pool and hot tub (only Katerina and the boys jumped in that at night - it was chilly outside!); fire pit, sound system. We got to tell everyone we were 11 weeks pregnant and see Mary at around 30 weeks pregnant! Mom and GG came in to watch the 3 kiddos in College Station. And, while that was wonderful, I confused poor Everly. I was so excited to see her when I got back, since this was the first time I had been away from her that long and it was not a good reunion. I don't know if we confused her by trying to facetime while we were gone, but GG and Mom said while she was good, she was not her usual perky self. She just did her thing and didn't get upset, but didn't show much personality. So, when we got back, I expected her to be so happy to see me. But, she was not. She ONLY wanted Vic for the first couple of hours; she would not let me hold her; she cried and cried and pushed me away. It was awful. After a couple of hours, she let me back in. It's almost like she saved her feelings of being upset that I left for when I got back instead of when I actually left her 3 days before. So confusing and poor baby. Then, for the next few months at church when I would leave her in the nursery for MOPS or church, she would see me and immediately start crying when I picked her up. It was just interesting how she did things. But, other than that, it was a fabulous trip with the Veretts!

Until next year - where we will have two more babies along side us!

MLK 2017 in Port Aransas

This year, our MLK trip took us to Port Aransas! This year, our group was Kristofer, Katie, Whitney, Mary, Taylor, Paul, Everly, Vic and myself. We rented an awesome house close to the beach and had our usual weekend of visiting, eating, and this year, playing with babies! It's exciting because last year, Mary & I were pregnant and this year, we not only have baby Paul and baby Everly with us, but Katie is also expecting and due in June! The group just continues to grow!

Here are a few pictures from our weekend! And all of them taken at the beach or in the bathtub, were taken by Mary!! I cherish these! They are all so precious! Oh and Mary and I have decided it would really be convenient for us to just be Sister Wives. We were discussing birthday parties and how we wanted to help each other and that really, if we all just lived under one roof, we could really take all of the advantages of being sister wives to our benefits (minus the sharing one husband part). Vic and Taylor were not convinced. I would settle for just being a couple of hours away! However, neither of our husband are leaving their job anytime soon, so that dream will have to wait!

  

Road Trip with Everly!

 

We made it! And the kids start to play.

Nice place!

Last year, there was no wine with babies in our bellies, but this year, with them nice and safe on the outside, we could have wine!

Everly doesn't like anyone to hold her, but Taylor isn't scared. And I think he is a sucker for babies!

Woke up the next morning to...more playtime!

We went to lunch with everyone, and Geoff, Jill & Keller joined us. 

Then, we went to the beach. Being January, it wasn't hot of course, but it was actually kind of chilly, even for Port Aransas. I was ok, because I think I am just warm natured. But, the babies were cold and Mary and Katie were cold! However, it was fun to put the babies in the sand to see if they liked it. Paul was not a big fan; he was done pretty quick. But, Everly was definitely confirmed to be Vic's daughter. She loved the sand and if I hadn't noticed her trembling, she would have stayed down there playing for much longer. Here is the group and here is Mary being trampled by babies. Then, there are precious pictures on the beach taken by Mary.

And I love this photo of us! Compare to last year....and this year!

Later that night, we put Paul & Everly in the bath together. Talk about adorable. They both wanted to grab each other's face or head or hair and check it out!

Holy cuteness! These babies!

The next day, Mary and I shopped a little, and then we all went for a drink and appetizers at a restaurant, whose name I've forgotten. Katie practiced her baby carrying skills!

 What a wonderful MLK weekend! Here's to next year with another baby (Katie and Kristofer!) joining us!