Houston!

We had so many plans that keep getting canceled.  We were supposed to go to Outerbanks for spring break.  That didn't happen.  (I'm starting to think Outerbanks is cursed against me-- this is my third try to get to that place and it NEVER WORKS OUT.)  We had planned to go to the Hill Cumorah Pageant with my cousin Anne and her family.  This trip was going to include Niagara Falls and we've been busy getting passports so we could go to the Canadian side and everything.  But now the Pageant is postponed until next summer, so our trip is, too.  {Sigh.}

When Anne and I were sorting all this out, she mentioned that we were always welcome to visit their new home in Texas.  I mentioned the idea to Craig, adding in that if we were going to drive so far, we really ought to visit his brother, too.  Craig figured out that with his schedule of working from home, this was probably our best chance to do this and suddenly we were driving to Texas!

We went to Jason and Jeni's house first (mostly because they live the farthest from us, and I like to start at the farthest point and then work my way home.  Come to think of it, that's how I always run errands, too!).  The drive there was uneventful, which is exactly what you want.  The kids were busy on their Kindles (or phones!) and we just drove and drove and drove.  We spent one night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (had to get 2 hotel room$), and discovered that Craig and I do NOT fit in a double bed.  That was NOT a good night's rest.  But when the kids got up super early the next morning I was already half awake anyway, so I didn't really mind.  And we were able to get back on the road right away and arrived in time for dinner.  So that was great.

My new phone takes BEAUTIFUL pictures, so Craig and I swore up and down that THIS would be a trip that we actually documented and WE DID!!!  Seriously, we took so many pictures.  Consider yourself warned.  Especially considering that we mostly sat around eating and talking (my favorite things to do, and the only stuff we're still allowed during COVID!), we STILL managed to take a lot of pictures!

Scruffy brothers!

Jeni has this extraordinary ability to make lots of food for people without appearing to have worked very hard at it.  I can only appreciate this because when I make lots of food (and especially if it's for company), it only happens after I've spent significant amounts of time and energy stressing out and/or yelling at everyone.  I honestly don't know how Jeni does it.  We were so well fed the entire time!  So yes, we arrived and pretty much as soon as we were done lugging all our stuff into the house, dinner was served:

Jeni's food ALWAYS tastes good, but after driving for two days it tastes AMAZING!

We'd arrived Saturday evening, so the following morning we got to have family church!  As we all laughed about, we'd doubled our sacrament meeting attendance!

Kendra enjoys having cousins around who will do her hair all pretty for her!

Church: the boys' couch

Church: the girls' couch.  Quite the contrast!  😂

NOT scruffy brothers!

Colton and Camille still love Peyton

Here we are cracking up as Jason cracks up, reading Three Cheers for Tacky

Jeni and Kamryn make these awesome crocheted hats for kids with cancer-- they're more comfortable than wigs, and the kids can choose their favorite Disney character!  So here we have Bentley as Jack Sparrow!

Playing "Apples to Apples"

I went outside to read and Peyton decided I needed someone to keep me company!

I woke up one morning to a VERY quiet house-- it turned out everyone was playing outside before it got too hot out!

I love when the older cousins all just hang out together without the grownups having to interfere at all

One afternoon when Craig didn't have any meetings, we drove to Galveston and spent a couple hours at the beach.  This was PERFECT because it gave us enough time to enjoy the waves and sand, but no one got sunburned AND we didn't have to try and eat snacks that had gotten sand blown into them.  As soon as everyone was getting hungry, we headed home and ordered dinner to be picked up from Chuy's.  What could be better?

I promise he put the phone down and spent some time in the water!

Our last day in Houston was Lindsy's birthday, so we got to be there while she opened presents:

Jeni made this shirt for her (!!!)

And this Llama cupcake cake!!!

Happy birthday, Lindsy!  Thanks for letting us share in your special day!



And even more thanks to Jason and Jeni and the kids who were giving up or sharing their rooms with us for all their hospitality!  We had such a wonderful time staying with y'all and you made us feel right at home!