Hailey had her first ever trip to TEXAS!!! My dad's parents and my aunt's family live in Lufkin, Texas and it was about time for them to meet Hailey so Joe, Hailey & my dad dared to face the 4 hour flight and 2 hour drive to Lufkin. What a trip!!!
I was dreading Hailey's first flight, I mean doesn't everyone give the evil eye to all parents with babies on flights? So I did what I could... bribed everyone! I made little goodie bags with treats, earplugs and Hailey's introduction and passed them out to anyone sitting near us.
You can't be mad at this baby right???
Exhibit A - Bribery
Voila! The final product!
VERY fortunately, Hailey did GREAT on the flight! I made sure to nurse her on take off and landing to help with the pressure in her ears, and she hardly cried the whole flight. She did, however, get a bit squirmy on Daddy's lap...
FREE MEEEE!!!
Oh Hi Camera!
Trouble Makers
For the record, I am officially a HUGE fan of baby leg warmers in lieu of pants on flights. Makes diaper changing on in the plane's tiny bathroom, that much less tricky!!!
Waiting for the car rental... But first, Lemme take a selfie!
After the drive, we were warmly welcomed by the Texas family and Hailey made herself right at home, and decided it was time to start crawling. Well, army-crawling kinda sorta.
In conclusion, our daughter is a talented child prodigy.
Hailey loved going on walks around the neighborhood!
Daddy, Hailey, Grandpa, Nana & Bella!
Family Photo!
Hailey, Nana & Me
Friday night, we all decided to go out for a fun Texas dinner. I'm not sure if Oysters are traditional Texas food, but they sure were BIGGER there.
Joe and I ordered a sampler plate to split without even thinking about it...
It was about 10 different fried foods. All of them delicious and all of them total gut bombs.
The Leftovers - Not even close to finishing
Staying with the Texas theme, my aunt Terri & uncle Rob took Joe and I to a shooting range. I'd never shot a gun before so this was a very first for me. And Whoa. That was so much fun and so crazy. Some of their guns aren't legal in California... I'm not going to say I 100% disagree with the reason for that LOL
My boots weren't exactly standard issue, but they ARE fabulous. So there's that.
Attackers BEWARE! If you're about 20 feet in front of me, standing still, with a green target outfit on, I just might be able to shoot you.
Now for the big guns...
Pew Pew Pew!
Joe's been practicing for a while, LOTS of hours playing Call of Duty
Uncle Rob, showing us how it's done.
Aunt Terri knows her way around guns!
Joe's a little intense when it comes to plinking.
After all that fun, it was time for a little more wholesome family time!
Nana & Hailey
No better place than in the Texas heat for Hailey to try her first popsicle!!
A little cold, a LOT messy!
Grandpa, me, Hailey & Great Grandpa! Four Generations! Oh and Bella the doggy :)
I love this shot. Great Grandpa & Hailey holding hands
Fun with Grandpa!
Hailey's telling a story
Cuteness overload
What a wonderful trip! It was for sure sad to say bye to ya'll down in Texas, but hopefully we'll be seeing you again real soon!
What better way to begin a new decade than spending a long weekend in snowy Tahoe with 21 friends and six kids? It was the best birthday a now-thirty year old could ever ask for.
To start, Hailey, Joe and I carpooled up with Adam, Kendall and just twelve week old baby Kaia! Hailey and Kaia did great on the road trip and we all had a blast. We made a pitstop in Sacramento for some lunch at a brewery. The adults needed a beer and the babies needed some milk, so it was really a win-win.
Joe & Hailey
Kendall & Kaia
Once we were back on the road, it wasn't long until we were there!
When we arrived, there was no snow to be seen, but this mansion was ready for us!
The fridge was stocked very shortly there after...
Beer, check. Gatorade, check. Milk, check. All three major drink groups covered!
Oh, and the vodka.
Birthday Girl - Wine, Baby, Sash & Crown.
Fun on the balcony
Our Fabulous Cabin... Birthday Decorations Not Included.
GT brought up his computer which had just about every video game from every video game console downloaded on it. When the guys weren't at the casinos, they were glued to the TV.
Hailey, Kaia, Kendall & Alex - Girl Time!
The group split into groups to cook our meals and it worked out great, especially with such a huge kitchen to work in.
It takes a village to feed this crew.
Hailey loved the attention. Thank you auntie Vicky!
Friday night a big snow storm came and left a ton of snow for us on Saturday!
Our Winter Wonderland!
Hailey welcomed us with her usual 6am wake up call (not too shabby for a babe who goes to bed at 7 and sleeps through the night) so after feeding her, Daddy napped (after a long night at the casino playing craps) and I squeezed in some much-appreciated snuggle time.
Early Morning Snuggles!
Hailey, Kendall, Alex & Brewer - Daycare Buddies!
Snow Bunny 'Tude
Sunday night the dads agreed to stay in with the kiddos while the ladies and moms went out for a night on the town!
Daddy brought Hailey to primp with the gals in the ginormous master bathroom
Playing pool - we were terrible but it was awesome
Me, Heather & Michelle
Heather, Cary & Sarah
Sarah, Me & Kendall
Kendall, Trinette & Michelle... & Fingers.
Someone brilliantly remembered to take some group pics out on the Balcony :-)
Bob, Lucas, Mike, Joe, GT & Jameson
The Rohrbachs (All 3-1/2 of them!)
Daddy, Hailey & Mommy
The whole gang! (minus Victoria, boo)
What a weekend and WHAT a birthday! I couldn't have asked for anything better :-)
