Ending our lake time...

Is is our last night at the lake and it is going to be hard to leave in the morning...I have to say that this has been a great vacation because it actually doesn't feel like we just got here. It has been relaxing, fun, exciting, and refreshing, but now it is time to get back home. I tend to start to stress at this point in a vacation because we will get home late tomorrow and things will have to be unpacked, our house will be dirty, there will be a pile of mail, the fridge will be empty, and Monday morning will come very soon. This time, however, I am trying my best not to even worry about any of that but instead to enjoy every minute of this vacation up until the moment we step into our home tomorrow night. We needed this time together and with family and it has been wonderful!

Here are the last pics and highlights of our vacation...hope you enjoy!

Here is Riley keeping herself entertained with her car seat while we had a good lunch at Taipei in San Antonio...when we drove into S.A. it was POURING rain and Jason pulled up to the very front of the restaurant and in the time it took me to jump out of the car, grab Riley, and get under the overhang I was DRENCHED and PISSED! I have to admit I was in a very bad mood because I literally looked like I had just gotten off a water ride and now I was trying to come eat in a nice restaurant...it was cold, my hair was about to go crazy, and I had on denim capris so I knew it would take forever to dry. I was in a bad mood and didn't even want to stay, but Jason convinced me that I looked beautiful and we would have a good lunch and that we did...nothing a pony tail holder couldn't fix! Can I still blame those moments on hormones? I think I can and I will!

We spent the afternoon with Uncle Jan and Aunt Diane and that was a very special time for everyone. Riley gave them many smiles and they both loved the time with her and we loved the time with them! Riley got to sit on Uncle Jan's lap and she wanted to touch his face and feel his whiskers...she also wanted to play with his glasses but we put a stop to that quickly! Diane got to hold Riley while she napped and from personal experience there is nothing better than having a warm, limp, cuddly sleeping baby in your arms!

Before we left San Antonio, Riley and I went to work with JoePa for a little bit and checked on his jobs. You can see here that Riley worked so hard reviewing all of these plans that she had to take a quick nap to get her energy back. For those of you that have been nagging Riley to get a job consider it done...she is the newest employee of H.R.H. Construction...and she has the coolest boss ever!

Afternoon scrabble game...Jason and I got to play scrabble one afternoon...this is something we did when Riley was first born and it was such a special time for us and has created many great memories. Jason beat me pretty good however he also kept score and I did not audit the results so there could have been some manipulation...NOT...he beat me fair and square...we'll just have to play again! I also enjoyed a Diet Dr. Pepper float with the homemade ice cream while we played...yummy!

Lake sunsets...we will definitely miss seeing these every evening! It has been abnormally windy here the whole time we have been here which has actually been really nice because the heat is not bad at all with the constant breeze that we've had. We spent many mornings and evenings and even late nights sitting out on the dock just taking it all in!

Dad and Daughter time...actually family time in general has been great! Anyone who has gotten to experience Jason with Riley knows that this little girl will always have a special bond with her daddy...he is smitten with her and he lets everyone know! I have loved seeing them together and capturing some of their "moments" on camera! One of the funnies was while we were eating at Taipei and she got upset that we took away everything on the table that she wanted to play with so he got her Pooh bear toy and her moose toy and staged a fight between the two which involved voices, sounds, and stunts...needless to say Jason had lots of fun and it distracted her from all the things we took away from her!

Today we got to spend the day with the Morello family...Matt, Becky, and Sydney! Becky and I met at Texas A&M and she was my Bible study leader my freshman year...coincidentally her husband and Jason were also in the same outfit in the Corps of Cadets...we lead similar lives they are just a few years ahead of us...he is in the Air Force and they have a daughter Sydney that just turned 2! They have moved several times, but Becky and I have always remained very close and talk on the phone as much as we can and visit each other as much as we can as well...they are in Texas for just a few more weeks and then they will be heading back to Florida! We had a lot of fun with them today...swimming, boating, tubing, waverunning, and Matt got to ski even though the water was anything but smooth! For those of you that know Becky you know how much she LOVES cupcakes so my mom made some yummy banana chocolate cupcakes and I iced them with chocolate icing...just what we NEEDED! I wish we could have spent more time together, but we enjoy every chance we get!

My parents had a party to attend in San Antonio tonight so we had a night as a family and we went to a great local Italian restaurant and had a great meal! They had the BEST bread I have ever had...I could have eaten an entire loaf...or maybe I did! We had a good time and came home and have packed the car up...tear, tear! We will enjoy a nice breakfast with my parents in the morning and then off we will be back to Arkansas...Texas will always be home sweet home! Thanks mom and dad for EVERYTHING...we love every moment with you guys and will miss you! We love you Grammie and JoePa!