Dime Box 2013

We've been fortunate the last couple years to be invited by the Robertsons to a family house in Dime Box, Texas.  It's always such a nice getaway weekend.  It's a time to get away from home, relax, and enjoy the company of great friends.  This year, Dime Box with the Robertsons and Pollards did not disappoint.  We once again had a wonderful weekend!  One of the best things about being there is being in the "country."  Living in the suburbs definitely does not provide the same experiences we get there, so it's nice for Jake to have a taste of country living.  Here are a few kids getting ready for a little hike...

 There are few horses on their property, but we were able to visit a friend's neighboring property to visit some some newborn horses and see some chickens!  Here's one of the babies...

 We brought along some apples to feed the horses.  Jake did a great job even though there were only a couple interested in the snack...

 The kids then got to gather fresh eggs from the chicken coop.  I didn't actually watch the egg gathering b/c I was taking a rest, but Kevin said they had lots of fun.  The best part is that we brought home some eggs and cooked them later that week.  Jake was really into it and was super excited to make and eat the eggs he gathered....

 Here are the chickens...

 We also did some fun indoor activities like egg decorating...

Here's Jake proudly displaying some eggs...

The kids also enjoyed decorating sugar cookies.  Jake is pretty meticulous about his cookie decorating.  Here he is at work...

Another special part of being in Dime Box is seeing our good friends interacting and building relationships with each other's kids.  We are truly blessed with some great friends here in Austin, and I'm glad for their influence in my life and now Jake's life.  Here's Tanya doing some bedtime story reading...

Trip for 3-Day 3

For our final day in San Antonio, we headed to Morgan's Wonderland.  I found it under "family fun" on visitsanantonio.com, so we took a chance and tried it out.  We LOVED it.  I highly recommend this park if you have young children.  We spent hours there, and Jake never bored.  It's considered an "inclusive park" because it was designed with special attention of those with special needs.  Ultimately, it's a great place for everyone and our family definitely enjoyed it.  Jake played in the sand...

He drove a car in an "adventure ride"...

had fun on pirate island...

Here he is giving his best "arrrgh"...

He played a lot on all the awesome playscapes...

tried out a zebra on the carousel...

drove remote controlled boats.  He loved this!  Just look at this face...

and this face...

The most unexpected and random fun we had that day was Jake getting his very own pickleball lesson.  There is a really nice gym at the park, and we went inside to take a look.  It just so happened there was a pickleball club playing and inviting guests to come and give it a try.  A few of the members immediately approached us and asked Jake if he wanted to try and Jake said yes, so the lesson began.  Jake's hand eye coordination is pretty good so they seemed pretty impressed by his raw skill.  Here's Coach Ed showing him how it's done...

and here's Jake ready to go as Coach Ed was throwing balls to him to hit back.  I had honestly never heard of pickleball before that day, so it was a definite surprise to add this new sport to Jake's repertoire!

Jake tried out the carousel again, this time choosing an elephant...

Daddy joined him on this go-around...

And finally, here's a family pic in front of this beautiful sculpture at the park's entrance.  We definitely had a great trip that ended with a great discovery!

Trip for 3-Day 2

Our next San Antonio adventure took us to the Children's Museum downtown.  We hit the road early so we could be there as close to opening as possible.  It was well worth it b/c it really started to get crowded closer to lunch time.  Children's museums are always great b/c there's lots to do and San Antonio didn't disappoint.  Here's Jake and some of the activities...

 Kevin's birthday always falls over Spring Break, so I asked him before our trip if there was anything he would like to do in San Antonio to celebrate.  He said he wanted to go to Lulu's Cafe.  We were introduced to Lulu's through the TV show "Man vs. Food."  If you're not familiar with the show, the host travels to restaurants across the country known for the "biggest" or "hottest" foods and participates in a challenge to eat them in their entirety.  Lulu's made the show for their chicken fried steaks, but most importantly their 3 pound cinnamon rolls.  Yes, I said 3 pounds!  You have to see it to believe it!  Here's Lulu's....

 It's definitely got the cute old diner feel...

 We both ordered chicken fried steaks because that's one thing they're known for.  We opted for the lunch portion since we knew what lie ahead.  After some yummy chicken fried steak, it was time for the grand finale....

 It especially looks huge next to Jake's head...

I have to say the roll was MUCH better than I expected.  I had low expectations of the taste since I feel like it's hard to maintain quality when you emphasize quantity, but somehow Lulu's did it.  It was genuinely light and fluffy and very tasty.  Of course, we had a ton leftover, so we took it with us and re-heated it later.  It is not nearly as good reheated, so you really must eat it fresh.  Kevin and his birthday cinnamon roll...

 After our fun-filled cinnamony day, we headed back for everyone to take a well needed nap.  We were fortunate to be able to stay at Kevin's cousin's house.  His cousin and their family opened their home to us when they weren't even there, and it definitely felt like we had the peacefulness and quality of a resort with the feel of home.  After our naps, we enjoyed their awesome backyard before dinner. 

 There's nothing like lounging in a hammock...

 Except for double lounging in the hammock....

 Our happy boy...

Trip for 3-Day 1

Over Spring Break, we took a little trip down to San Antonio.  This trip was especially meaningful to me b/c it was our last trip as a family of 3.  Our first adventure began on the way down where we stopped at Natural Bridge Wildlife Center.  Jake loves animals and has been to other wildlife centers several times, so we knew it would be a hit.  We went first to the petting zoo area.  Here's my handsome guy...

 Jake really loved the petting area and wasn't fearful at all.  He held food in his hand and did his best to find a hungry recipient...

 I think he loves the little pygmy goats just like I do...

 The remainder of the Wildlife Center was a drive-through park where we saw and fed lots of different animals.  Here are a few...

Boy Time

We started off our Spring Break as we usually do in the Lawson household, as the hosts to a guys weekend filled with the high school state basketball tournament.  Even though we always have a few guys in town, I never really feel like we have company b/c they are gone all day enjoying the games.  The fun part for Jake and me is that Chad brought Cohen to hang out.  Jake was SO excited about Cohen's arrival, we were literally counting down the days.  Jake loves having him around, and I love being around them b/c they truly play together so well and act like the best of friends.  I didn't take too many pictures, but here's a few pics from the visit.  I took the boys to the Big Bounce on Friday.  It was perfect b/c the weather was cold and rainy.  I love this pic b/c the way Jake is looking at Cohen; so cute...

In front of the choo-choo train...

 One thing that's great about the way they play together is they can be happy with a wide range of activities.  They played basketball, wrestled, put puzzles together, colored, played with super heros, read books.  It was great for me b/c they were so content.  I honestly think there wasn't one argument or conflict the entire visit!  Here they are completing a drawing together.  This was extra cute b/c they made several drawings, then decided to hang them on the walls in their very own "museum."

Ballpark

 Although you can't tell on the blog, we've been keeping really busy lately.  It's just that in between the busyness, this pregnant Mommy rests instead of being on the computer, so I'm once again behind.  In early March, the Express host a fan day on a Saturday morning to get everyone geared up for the season.  We went last year and enjoyed it, so decided to hit the ballpark again.  Here's Jake and Daddy...

 and here's all 3 of us.  My eyes are closed, but I still have to value a photo when we're all 3 in it...

Probably the biggest highlight of going is getting to actually go on the field.  You can throw and catch, and they also have a line to bat.  Jake loved being out on the field.  He and Kevin stayed out there for a while enjoying themselves... 

 

 

Something a little funny happened too.  A camera guy came up and starting filming Jake and Kevin playing catch.  It was funny to see Jake's reaction b/c he was definitely wondering what the guy was doing.  Here's Jake's moment on film...

 He even interviewed Kevin.  I didn't catch which channel, but I know Kevin checked on-line later to try to find any footage and was unlucky.  Oh well, I guess it wasn't their moment for fame ;-)