Our Big Summer Vacation -- Houston

We were able to stay in Houston for almost a week after the wedding while Jason traveled to Dallas for work. All of the cousins were able to stay for a few extra days as well which was great fun for Abby and Landon. We took all the kids to the Butterfly Museum in downtown Houston one day.

Here's a shot of most of the Call cousins...

Nolan and his aunt Jennifer!! 

We learned all about different kinds of bugs... 

But these were definitely the highlight of the day!! 

Grandpa with all but two of the grandkids... 

 

Three of the cousins live right next door to Jason's parents so Abby and Landon had a great time wandering back and forth between the two houses. They also enjoyed jumping on the trampoline (especially with the sprinklers on to help combat the Houston heat!!)

They also really loved going to the community pool. Abby and Landon have both become pretty good swimmers this summer between all the time we've spent at the lake, the beach, and the various pools that we have visited. Abby even got brave enough to try out the slide and LOVED it by the time we left Houston.

After a fun-filled week in Houston, we drove to Dallas to pick Jason up from his work site and then made the 20-hour drive to Colorado. (Check back later for Part 2 of "Our Big Summer Vacation!")

Our Big Summer Vacation -- Part 1

We drove down to Houston for Jason's brother's wedding just four days after returning from the Outer Banks. It took us two days to make the 22 hour drive and somehow we all survived the first leg of our grand summer adventure!! Lance was married in the Houston, Texas temple on Saturday, July 21st. It was a hot and humid summer day but somehow we all managed to avoid melting in the heat and enjoyed the beautiful ceremony. While the bride and groom were getting their pictures taken all around the temple, we were able to get some nice family shots for ourselves.

Here's our little model in action...

 

The girls...

And the boys!
(One picking his nose, one crying for mommy...
at least there's one handsome looking one in the bunch!!)



A slightly better "boys picture" but a bit too ghost-like for my taste!




Our little family!! 

Just the two of us!!
 

Awwwww...still in love after over 8 years of marriage!!

 
Jason also wanted to take a few pictures of me outside his parent's home after we got home from the wedding. I guess actually seeing me dressed up rather than in jeans and a ponytail made him decide to capture the look a bit longer!! I think he is also happy that I am letting my hair grow long and I'm excited that I can now curl it without looking like Shirley Temple!!

 

 

Outer Banks

During the second week of July, we held a Cleveland family reunion in North Carolina. We rented a beach house in the Outer Banks (Corolla) and had a wonderful time.

This was the home we rented. It was the perfect size for all of us to fit in comfortably. There were 5 bedrooms (including one with two sets of bunkbeds for all the cousins to sleep together), a private pool/hot tub and was located just two blocks from the beach.

 

We had lots of fun times with cousins, aunts, uncles...


And of couse lots of snuggles from Grandma and Grandpa!!
 


It was wonderful having our own pool to use whenever we wanted. The grandkids all had a great time swimming with Grandma and Grandpa in the mornings and also when the babies would take their naps in the afternoons.

 

 

 





We also celebrated three different birthdays while we were there.

Nolan's 1st Birthday...

 

My dad's 72nd birthday...


And my mom's big birthday coming up in September (70th!!)


Every night the grandkids would perform some little skit (with a lot of help from my mom as you can tell from the props!!)
 





And of couse no trip to the Outer Banks would be complete without a lot of time in the sand and surf!!

 

 

  

We also made two little day trips. One to the Wright Brothers Museum in Kitty Hawk (where the first motor powered airplane flight took place.)

 

(Glad we don't have to fly like this anymore!!)


And the other visit was to one of the famous lighthouses in Currituck.


The view of the sound and the beach were amazing from the top!!




After all our adventures, we had some pretty tuckered out little children!!
 

It was a wonderful trip and we can't wait to go back again next year!!