Green Egg and a Man

Texas is serious about their ribs, steaks, and other meat. We’re talking tailgates at every event and BBQ pits on every corner. If you intend to discover the best BBQ pit in San Antonio it could take years and a hefty spare tire to boot.

I discovered the best of the best without the spare tire and I didn’t have to go far to find it. Sitting in our backyard you would find – not one, not two, but THREE grilling/smoking/cooking machines.

First is the Weber: a fine grilling machine! The Traeger was acquired upon moving to Texas after tasting the tenderness of a steak that only Traeger could produce. I seriously need to experiment with this grilling/smoking machine since cooking outdoors decreases a lot of the mess indoors – and what cook doesn’t like that?

Lalon took the liberty of expanding our outdoor kitchen.

Introducing …

A Man with a Plan

 The Big Green Egg

I may have mentioned it before but this man can do some serious cooking. Fortunately for me he has a knack for BBQ’ing and does it often because it makes him happy - and if Daddy's happy, EVERYONE is happy!

Renewal

Ash Wednesday begins today!

While the Cat's Away ...

... the mice will play!

Lalon's been on one of his work excursions touring the country. Again! :) The kids and I have been keeping up with the daily grind and I thought we needed to get out. What better time to do it than *Fat Tuesday? I didn't cook dinner tonight, instead we ate a boatload of pizza! Obviously, you have to burn it off somehow, so we went to the arcade and gambled like professionals! We had a BALL! I told them to get used to it because we were going to be spending A LOT more time together. Maybe not at the arcade ... but definitely together!

Please excuse the poor picture quality, I forgot my camera and used Isaac's iPod touch

Little gamblers!

Proof to my husband that MY boys LOVE horses! :)

For the true meaning of Fat Tuesday and observing it correctly please go here.

Rosebuds

Becca is just getting over a nasty chest cold. Lalon is always so sweet to the kid feeling down in the dumps. As soon as the child begins to feel better he takes that little one out shopping (usually the book store) to make them feel special ... and a little better.

Rebecca chose this. She's a crafty one, alright! When the weekend came and she started feeling better we worked together to create her choice of cupcake. The "leaves" are the only thing missing because we didn't have green tootsie rolls (or anything green). The boys ADORED the flowers only because they were edible! I was happy with the results - I thought she did a great job!

More Than A Friendly Visit

Strange how you make great friends, they become like family, and then they move away! Then again, what should I expect, we are in the military!


Matt, Rachel and their kids were another addition to our Okinawa family. We did a lot together, shared many good times, and that's what made Okinawa so special.


Distance was no longer a factor when they mentioned a scheduled trip to Texas. We packed up our bags and headed to Houston for a little catch-up time.


Game night and a day at the zoo highlighted our weekend. The kids were busy running from one exhibit to the next, playing together as if their time apart didn't even happen, and it was the perfect set-up so the adults could spend time talking.

Buddies

Studying an exhibit. Apparently. :)

Next get together will be in Florida for Spring Break. This girl is counting down the days!

Brotherly Love

For the second time in less than a year we've been fortunate to have my little brother, Ben, visit us in San Antonio.

Having Ben visit is like a jolt of energy. We find something new about San Antonio each time he visits. This year we took him down to Mustang Island near Corpus Christi. We've been here before but this time was much more relaxing and enjoyable. We laughed at Ben when he announced he was going to swim in the gulf. The weather had been a tad chilly over the last couple weeks so swimming in the gulf sounded a little far fetched! Ben was adamant so he packed a change of clothes and we went on our merry way - Mustang Island bound! We thought we could at least walk the beach and enjoy the cool weather. Our arrival was a little surprising. The wind was blowing but it was a little warmer than we anticipated. Fools that we were, we failed to look on the internet for the forecast and went completely unprepared. Ben had a great time diving into and jumping over the waves. Before we knew it, Andrew joined him in the surf. Rebecca was soaked from falling into the water and then laying on the beach as the water lapped over her. Isaac managed to get his jeans soaked while digging for sand dollars, and we ended the day by taking a trip to Walmart to buy clothes for the kids. I guess the last laugh was on us.

Lalon and Becca to the left. Ben and Andrew out in the surf.

Somehow Ben's visit also bring on extra poundage! We spent plenty of time enjoying the goods of Texas and bring in various banned foods like chocolate and comfort foods. Ah, the joy of losing the weight will take extra long but oh well, it was fun!

Only partial sand dollars found but he's
still hunting.

With my "little" brother Benny!

The best thing about Ben's visit? Having a Priest for a brother is an incredible blessing. Not only can you feel the security of knowing someone else is praying for you and your family, but you can also benefit from his God given vocation. We had mass in our house at the dining room table - it was a small crowd, just the 5 of us and Father Ben. I'm sorry to say I haven't been to an actual mass of Ben's since he was ordained in 2005 but I hear some amazing things from people who have. The mass we had on this particular Sunday was personal and directed toward each individual of the family.


Real love is more than wishing someone the best. It's about caring for a person's eternal soul and wanting everlasting happiness for them. I'm blessed with a loving family who offer that kind of love. Thank you Ben, for answering this call and keeping your family and friends close to your heart.

Twelve!

The years fly by and I notice it more and more with each year especially with Isaac. He asks me regularly if I'm feeling old yet and my answer is usually the same, "Yes!". I was looking at him while we were sitting in church today and couldn't stop thinking about how much he's changed yet how some things never do. Each little freckle that graces his face, the profile of his nose, his light brown eyes, how he's quick to hug and he doesn't care who's looking! Then I started thinking back to when he was a baby and just entered this big world. He came into this world so quietly and didn't scream his head off like his brother and sister. He blinked a couple times and looked around with his big ol' eyes. I was in love immediately but very scared and overwhelmed since I had never taken care of an infant before. God knows us so well and knows just what little souls he can entrust us with. To this day we feel so lucky to have Isaac in our lives. He has a heart of gold. He forms deep connections to just a few individuals but those few remain close to his heart forever.

Celebration was at home with a plate of ribs (his choice), Uncle Ben, and the rest of us singing our song. Unlike a traditional cake, Isaac opted for something a little more individualistic. White chocolate molten lava cakes (whew ... that's a mouthful!). I had to cram all those tiny, little candles onto his cake. Blowing them out looked like a breeze ... but he found out otherwise ...

Woo-hoo! He got 'em all!

Taking in all the air he can muster.

Or ... did he?

Darn! He's on to us but havin' a good time.

All that laughing made him run out of steam!

A gift from Uncle Ben! Woo-hoo Boise State!

I.S.A.A.C:

Intense. Once Isaac finds an interest he becomes passionate about it. Despite anyone's opinion he knows what he wants and sticks to it (e.g. his love for certain books, playing a musical instrument, sharing his Catholic Faith).

Sweet. Isaac is great about helping out around the house or asking Lalon or myself if we need help. He's also unbelievably kind to his brother and sister and babysits for short periods of time so Lalon and I can have time alone. He is, by far, the best (youth) babysitter we've ever had. By the time we arrive home he makes sure the kids are dressed for bed and teeth are brushed. He's even said night prayers with them before herding them to their beds. And ... they are IN bed at the time they're supposed to be. We couldn't ask for a more responsible kid.

Serious. Isaac is sweet, and funny, but he also knows when to take things seriously.

Amazing. One of the things I really admire about Isaac is his game plan. He sets a goal and works to achieve it regardless of what his friends want. Isaac seeks his own way in this life and if that means going at it alone, he'll choose to do it because he knows it's the right thing to do - for him.

Contagious. That laugh. Before Isaac made his grand appearance in this world Lalon and I couldn't decide on a name. I had one I really wanted but it was always nixed because Lalon said he had too many friends with that name. Then one evening Lalon was reading the bible and came across Isaac. The minute he said that name we knew his name had to be Isaac. Little did we know how much he would live up to that it. Isaac means, "He laughs", and it fits him well.

Happy 12th Birthday Isaac. We love you so much!

He is NINE and Feelin' ALIVE!

One last year to enjoy before the double digits attack!


Andrew looks forward to his birthday every year - ALL YEAR LONG! It begins the day after his birthday. Now he's pondering what it will feels like to be a ten year old. I think we need to work a little harder on patience and appreciation of the present moment.


Of course we let Andrew pick what and where he wanted to eat. A good, home-cooked meal, or out to eat at their restaurant of choice. I try to encourage eating out, after all, it is THEIR big day! :) Andrew made his choice so it was off to Mr. Gatti's Pizza (barf!!), but all things considered it was a good choice. Lots of video games and all the pizza their little tummy's could hold!

Oops ... didn't quite get them all out!

Woo-hoo! A kindle! One can never read too much!

You can never go wrong with a beloved Transformer!
This was from Isaac and Becca.

Nine and feeling alive ... that's Andrew! As soon as day breaks he hits the floor running and doesn't stop 'til his head hits the pillow. He's a real little man. :)


Happy Birthday Andrew! We love you so much!

Fishin'

Fishing in Texas just stinks! Yes, fish do carry a familiar odor - but in this case I wouldn't know because we can't seem to get that close! A year and a half later you would think we would just give up altogether, but Lalon is one who enjoys a challenge and has passed on that trait to the kids (well, at least Isaac). Lalon has talked to various fishermen and bait shop "experts" to find out the best bait to use, but they're either filling us so full of crap or we're just unlucky. Probably the later.

This is what patience looks like

Day 1 of our weekend attempt

Andrew and Rebecca have been dubbed our
little puppies. They quickly tire of sitting along
the stream waiting for a fish to bite, so they
think up more inventive ways to pass their time.

*DAY 2*


Day 2 didn't look much different. No fish but there was one bite!
Rebecca and I left to take a stroll and snap a few pictures.

Day 2 of our weekend attempt

Becca catching some air

My beautiful daughter

Becca got a little happy with the snapping





Our next fishing trip will be on the day the fish are stocked. Unfortunately this happens to be in the middle of the week when most people are at work or in school. Fortunately this works out well for Andrew and myself. I wish I enjoyed fishing half as much as my husband and the kids do. Considering this, I may make a little sacrifice, declare one of those days a field trip and see if we can come home with dinner. It's a good thing we don't rely on fishing for food, we would've been goners by now!

Starting Off the New Year

What better way to start off the new year that to pick up your tired self and go for a hike!

We wanted to "hike" this for over a year - why the wait? There's always something to work on at home. Today we decided it was now or never! I cracked the whip and everyone jumped in to get the cooler and water bottles ready.

The hike was a short 20-30 minute jaunt to the top - and steep! It was enjoyable but we were expecting our hike to take a little longer. Enchanted Rock has nothing on Mt. Katsu!