Easter in West Texas

Since Easter was forever ago, and I've done a million and one things since then.....I can hardly remember what even went on over the weekend.  The day that we flew to Midland for Easter weekend was the day of Anna Grace's MRI of her brain.  Not a fun day.  They had a hard time getting an IV started on our poor baby girl, so she had to be stuck 3 times.  Since this is an area I really excel in as a nurse it came very close to me having to start her IV.  {insert crying emoji}  Luckily, one of my co-workers was able to help us out!  A few weeks later, I'm sad to say, I did have to poke our baby girl for some blood work that was needed.  I will say that we were happy to have the MRI behind us, and a long weekend in Midland ahead of us!  It was good timing to be in Midland with my family (aka help with the kiddos), so I could get phone calls made and emails sent regarding baby girl's health issues.

The Saturday before Easter we had the BEST time at the country club meeting the Easter bunny, doing face painting, eating lunch, watching a balloon artist and doing an egg hunt!  Watching William run after those eggs will be a memory I smile about for the rest of my life.    

Going to church on Easter Sunday, where I grew up, was just what my heart needed.  We are so very thankful for our children and the wonderful life God has given us.  To think that Jesus gave his life for us brings me to tears.  That we get to watch these sweet little people grow and learn is more than I could've ever asked for.  I always read things about people over using the hashtag #blessed.  But, it's the only way to put it.  Even when things have been scary with Anna Grace, and her future uncertain, we are so blessed to have her and William, just the way they are.  There really is nothing better than spending Easter with the people you love.

Love Week - Week 7

After our relaxing weekend away to Lake Tahoe......we were thrown back into the real world the day after returning!  I had a doctor appointment that morning followed by a yummy lunch at Chicken Kitchen with my boys.  Then things got good, we picked up my parent's new puppy, Massey,  To say William is in love with her is an understatement.  This child was, and is, obsessed with little Massey.  He was so gentle and careful with her.  He really showed us what a great big brother he'll make one day.  When William tries to say Massey it comes out as "Fifi".  :)  Cutest.  Thing.  Ever.
That Friday, after work, William and I headed to the airport to fly little Massey to West Texas.  I was a little nervous about traveling so late with a toddler and tiny puppy!  But, they did awesome.  They were both passed out by the time the plane was off the ground.  Our weekend didn't slow down.  The next morning my mom and I got up and headed to the Lubbock area for my sister in laws baby shower.  All the traveling really started to catch up to me at that point.  Luckily, I got my yearly fix of Orlando's to pep me up!  William and I were passed out at the hotel that night by 7;30 pm.    

{My little heart breaker was in love with "his" puppy} {William insisted on holding "Fifi" during the car ride}  {He'll play in the sand all day long if you'll let him}  {Helping Aunt Skye open presents}  {Valentines for his friends at school}  {Professional traveler....he does an awesome job!}

When we got back to Midland on Sunday we took a long nap, had lunch at the country club, got to visit with my grandparents over dinner, and watched Cars on the BIG movie screen at my parents house.  We had a great weekend in Midland but were glad to see Daddy when we made it home.   

The next time we're back in West Texas William will have a baby cousin to play with!  

Lake Livin'

Writing this post makes me a little sad because it's the last weekend that we were still pregnant and excited to be welcoming two new babies into the Hattenbach family (ours and my brothers).  I'm the oldest of all my cousins, and to be honest don't have much in common with them due to the large age gap.  So, being pregnant with Skye and having babies that close in age was exciting!
Anyways, onto our annual lake trip!   This year we headed to Cedar Creek Lake to meet my family.  Since the lake was so close to East Texas Gordon's parents even joined us for a day.  Besides it being really windy on Sunday the weather was beautiful.  The best part was the lake wasn't very crowded!    We had so much fun out on the water and just laying around the house relaxing, eating yummy food and playing games outside.  William is still talking about the jet ski rides he took with daddy and papa.  :)    

{Ready for a boat ride} {Going for a ride with Daddy} {Naptime}

{Fun with Papa} {Hanging with Nana} {Trying out Mama's shades}

{The gang} {So much fun!} {Big boy driving the boat with Uncle D} 

It's been kinda fun checking out different lakes in Texas!  Let me know if you have any recommendations.  We were thinking about LBJ next year.

4th Annual RB Vacation

FiNaLLy!!!  I've finally gone through the 200 pictures we took while we were in Rosemary Beach back in May.  I'm sure Gordon and William are sick of my picture taking but I doubt I'll be changing any time soon.  The memories are too precious!

We had the best week in Rosemary Beach for the 4th annual Gooding Beach Vacation.  I was so much more relaxed this year.....knock on wood....things with William are getting easier in so many ways.  William's first year to the beach was hard just because he was so tiny and I was having to pump every three hours.  As soon as I would finish up and get down to the beach it was nearly time to head back up.  Last year was better but still not as easy as this year.  There was a lot of sand eating last year and he actually preferred to be at the house pool playing instead of the beach.  This year was perfect!  William loved the sand, by the fifth day he was mesmerized by the ocean, his grandparents spoiled him with ice cream everyday, Gordon and I got lots of us time and we all got much needed R&R.

As you can see, William became quite the beach baby!  He played, played and played some more.  We would usually head down to the beach an hour after breakfast.  William would play for an hour, eat a squeezy pouch, we'd go for a walk, he'd have another little snack, play for a little bit more and then we'd head up for lunch and naptime.  During that time Gordon and I had 2 -3 hours of peaceful beach time.  

We even went crabbing one night.  William still talks about the crab that bit his daddy's finger.  He says, "da beach, daddy, OUCH!" when he sees a picture of a crab.  The Gooding guys spent most of there days playing games on the beach.  William was pretty interested in the bean bag toss game.  

• Brandon and Ashley did a fabulous job, as usual, on the fish fry and shrimp boil dinners we had a home!
• William loved going on bike rides.
• Checking Aly Beach out with Daddy.
• My little man. 
• This. Melts. My. Heart.
• Playing with Uncle Grant. 
• Taking it all in with Aunt Em. 
• Those baby blues will get ya!
• Dinner at George's. 

Rosemary Beach is a little piece of Heaven on Earth!!  {more pics coming tomorrow}

Texas Safari

William and I went on a super fun 27 hour road trip last weekend!  On Sunday morning we drove to San Antonio to meet my mom.  We planned the trip because my dad would still be in Africa (and we figured she'd be getting bored) and it was her birthday!  The other purpose of the trip was to visit the Natural Bridge Wildlife Safari that is just north of San Antonio.  To say William had fun is an understatement.  This little guy was ecstatic!  He loved feeding the animals a snack (the park provides you with this when you enter) and he even got up the courage to pet some goats.  The entire time we were in the car he was saying "what it is?" "a SNACK!"  When we'd tell him what kind of animal it was he'd say "oooohhhhhh".   He was really interested in the ostrich and kept calling them ducks.  :)
The next day we road a boat on the riverwalk, had ice cream, did some shopping, rode on a trolley (he's obsessed with buses so this made his day), sweat a lot, and saw the Alamo.

Super excited for the safari to start  |  Getting his snack ready  |  My dad hunted this Kudu in Africa  |  Look, a Zebra!  |  Nice goats  |  The Alamo  |  A duck...better known as an ostrich  |  He's super expressive!  |  Morning boat ride

Sometimes quick trips are the best trips!

Mini Vacation

The last weekend in June we had a mini vaca in San Antonio at the JW Marriott.  The last time Gordon and I were there I was 6 weeks pregnant with William.  We were so excited to take the little buddy to this fabulous resort....and we got to meet up with Nana and Papa! 
Getting to the JW is a breeze from Houston.  It's a short 3 hour drive with a Bucee's in between!  The first day we were there we rented a cabana.  It's definitely the way to go if you have a large group of people.  All the chairs get taken up super early in the morning so having the cabana with lots of seating all together is awesome.  You also get a mini fridge stocked with drinks, a shaded area (a plus if you have little ones so they can nap), and you get four lounge chairs in the water (again, perfect for little ones).  During the day we soaked up lots of sun, lounged on the lazy river, did the water slide 100 times, had one or two pina~coladas,  and just chilled.  In the evenings we got to listen to live music and play outside.  William loves music and watching people play the guitar so he was in heaven!  If he could talk I know he'd tell us this was one of the best weekends ever.  There was even a food truck outside that served food and adult beverages!  It was in a big, open, grassy area where kids could run around, throw ball and be as loud as they wanted.  A parents dream.  :)  

Last summer we stayed at the Hyatt Regency in San Antonio.  It's on the other side of San Antonio (closer to Sea World) and super nice as well.  The two hotels aren't much different in price, both have lazy rivers and both are kid friendly.  Here are a few things about each that we liked.

JW Marriott San Antonio:  Not only kid friendly but fun for adults too.  They have a huge bar with TVs everywhere.  Perfect for football season!  The kids pool was just right for William's age (slides, splash pad kinda stuff).  The BIG slide will be fun years down the road as well as the arcade room they have.  

Hyatt Regency San Antonio Hill Country- The Hyatt had a more outdoorsy feel to it.  It was surrounded by lots of trees and even had a nature trail that we walked through.  I don't remember there being much of a splash pad but they were in the process of building some big slides.  They did have several sandy "beach" areas off of the lazy river.  William really loved it last year!  I think you could even bring your own cooler with food etc into the pool area.  That may have changed by now?!?!?

Both places are fantastic!  They both offer child care/day camp for children 3 and up (that are potty trained).  It would be a great way to have some adult time and for your kiddos to meet friends and get some energy out for several hours.

Cabana Time  |  Squirt toys are the best  |  "Front roll, Mama!"  |  

Can you tell W wants to get down and run?  |  Relaxing  |  SO much fun!

My parents kept William one extra night in San Antonio before driving him back to Midland with them.  Leaving our sweet little buddy was so hard but I knew he was in good hands and would have a blast with his Nana and Papa!  They danced the night away after Gordon and I left.  Thanks goodness for pools, guitars and live music.  :)  

Our First Trip To RB

Our first trip to Rosemary Beach was in May 2011.  I hadn't started blogging yet so I thought I'd add some old photos!  I'd hate to forget our 1st annual Gooding beach vacation!

 Things haven't changed much over the last several years.  Rosemary Beach is still beautiful as ever!  There has been a little bit of growth but it's still a nice quiet area.  Lots of kids, lots of bike riding and lots of good food.  

Since 2011 we've added 2 Goodings to the group.  William and Emily!  Gordon and I had been married 8 months on our first trip and Emily and Grant were just dating.  Can you believe how fabulous the water is?!?!  Breath taking. The boys did their first shrimp boil together and the picture of the girls was taking after riding our bikes from Rosemary Beach to Seaside.  I still can't believe we made the trip there and back (with a stop at Bud & Alleys in between).....if I tried it now I'd probably pass out and get run over by a car.  

The Gooding Family

Such happy memories with some pretty awesome people!!!

Not In College Anymore

....and thank goodness for that because I hate test taking!!  In October 2006 I took the CPHON exam (certified pediatric hematology oncology nurse exam) for the first time.  This should have been my last time but like a dummy I let my certification expire in 2010.  I was so busy planning our wedding and buying our first home that it just wasn't on the top of my priority list.  So, a year ago I decided I'd give the test another go.  Things have changed a little bit from 2006.  Husband, toddler, a job at a different hospital and 10 years out of college....it was definitely challenging to get back into "study mode" a month ago when I started preparing for the exam!   
Yesterday was the big day!  I dropped William off at daycare, grabbed a cup of coffee at Starbucks and headed downtown to take the CPHON exam.  185 questions and 100 minutes later I was thrilled to see PASS pop up on the screen.  YIPPEEE!!  I will not be letting this one expire because test taking is for the birds.
Back in 2006 I was a single gal living in Midtown.  I celebrated that night at my one of my favorite restaurants, Ibiza, with a college guy friend (at the time Gordon was just a college memory that hadn't reappeared in my life).  Now nearly 8 years later I celebrated with my guys at home and then had a celebratory drink with one of my favorite co-workers out here in the burbs! 
I'm so happy to have passed and to have the test behind me.  Now I can focus on enjoying SUMMERTIME with lots of pool time, trips to the lake, reading and catching up on blogging!

Up next....our annual trip to Rosemary Beach!!  Here are the links to two of our past trips to 30A.

{RB1}{RB2}{RB3}



The Beach is in Our Near Future

Our next annual beach trip with the Gooding family is right around the corner!!  So, I figured I should finally post the beach pictures we had taken last July.  The files for each of these pictures is huge....for whichever reason they look a little blurry and the colors look blah since I uploaded them on the blog?!?!  Who knows.  It's better than nothing.  :) 

I LOVE these pictures.  Great memories and a few of them really captured William's silly personality.  The photographer we used was sweet but it took her nearly 4 months to get me the digital files and 10 months for the actual prints that we ordered.  She did a good job but I wouldn't use her again.   

Daddy's Little Buddy

The Gooding Guys

2013 Christmas Card

Sweet Baby Toes

The Goodings ~ July 2013

Silly Little Guy!

15 months old

Happy Baby Boy

I can't believe these pictures were taken nearly a year ago!  Time needs to slow down.  I can hardly wait to sink my toes into the sand in a few weeks!!  I'm even more excited to see how William does this year (and to get some sun on this body).  We are going to have a blast.  :)

Birthday in Breckenridge

If you know me fairly well you know I had two pretty strong opinions before becoming a mommy.  #1 you can’t forget about your husband after your baby is born (he is the reason you have that baby after all)   #2  you should leave your baby every once in a while so you can spend quality time with your significant other.  With that being said.....if you know me post baby you know that I’ve never spent a night away from baby boy……UNTIL NOW!  Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a strong believer of #1 and #2.  But, sometimes it’s hard to get away.  Gordon and I do have date night at least once a month but until now leaving William for an extended period of time didn’t feel right.  The first 18 months of William's life he was nursing (I was pumping) and he didn't sleep well through the night (at least not consistently).  I knew I wanted our first vacation to be as relaxing and fun as possible (and that does not include stopping everything to pump every 4 hours). 

As the holidays wrapped up, the house started coming together, and William started sleeping like a champ Gordon and I decided what better time to take a vacation together than now!  AND, to make it even more fun we’d be going during my birthday weekend.  My parents had seen William the weekend before and they had a trip of their own planned to Las Vegas so the lucky winner of a weekend with William was Gordon's parents.   

I was of course anxious about being away from William for four days but knew he was in great hands.  I’m pretty sure that time apart is harder on the parents than the kiddo!  When Gordon and I got into the car to head to the airport he told me he was proud of me (for leaving the house without crying)….I immediately burst into tears but recovered fairly quickly.   

Colorado was beautiful (and a little cold at only 5 degrees on arrival)!  Before heading to Breckenridge we drove into downtown Denver for lunch at Rock Bottom Brewery (recommended by a sweet friend).  It was the perfect way to start our trip.  Delicious food, fun environment and yummy drinks.  Once we got into Breckenridge we valeted our car and didn’t get it out again until Sunday morning.  I love being able to walk everywhere I need to go!  Since sleeping in was on the top of our list of “things to do” we skied half days on Friday and Saturday.  It worked out perfectly!  We got lot of rest, watched a few movies, had lots of relaxing dinners and what's better than skipping the gym and hitting the slopes?!?!?

• Taking a "selfie" before hitting the slopes
• All bundled up!  Not an inch of skin showing.
• On top of Peak 9
• Ready to get back out there after a hot chocolate break
• Heading out for my birthday dinner
• Picture perfect scenery for my 32nd birthday!

Gordon and I had a blast skiing!  We hadn't been in six years so I was a little nervous about severely hurting myself..  haha.  Luckily, we both did great and even managed to stay warm in the cold temperatures.  Breckenridge got a record amount of snow while we were in town.  It literally snowed the entire time we were there.  SO PRETTY!

• Thankful for my Hunter rainboots from my mom and dad!
• Yummy dinner and organic margarita at Mi Casa (check it out if you're in the area!)
• Baby it's cold outside
• Breakfast at the cutest bakery, La Francaise, on Saturday morning.
• It doesn't get much better than this.  Heaven on Earth.
• Beer tasting!
• So peaceful and pretty

Although leaving William was hard and I missed him like crazy, I am so glad we took this trip.  I am refreshed, rested and rejuvenated.  It has made me appreciate the little things with baby boy even more and it was so nice to have so much time with Gordon.  We can hardly wait to take William back when he turns four for his first ski lesson.  You better believe I will take 1,000 pictures during that vacation because those little snow bunnies are the CUTEST. THINGS. EVER. 

Sleepy boy trying on his new shirt!

Kentucky

Last month William and I took a little trip with my parents to Kentucky.  Kinda random, right?!  The  national APHON conference was held in Louisville, Kentucky this year so we headed north. 
Gordon has been traveling once a week for work so he wouldn't have been able to take baby boy to school and pick him up while I was gone....so, baby boy came!  My parents were sweet and offered to come along to watch William for me. 
The night before we left town my parents babysat William so Gordon and I could celebrate our 3 year anniversary.  The next afternoon we headed to Kentucky.  The trip there was pretty rough.  To be honest, it was actually awful.  William has flown 10+ times and done GREAT.  For whatever reason this flight hurt his poor little ears.  He screamed for 25 minutes straight.  stressful and sad.  By the time we got off our first flight (in St. Louis to change planes) we were worn out and I was terrified of how the next flight would go.  I'll have to do a post on flying with baby tips!  Long story short, we never got on the next flight.  Southwest delayed the flight to 12:40am.  Nope.  Not doing that!  So, we rented a car and my sweet daddy drove us to Louisville!  We finally crawled into a bed at 3am.

BYE Houston!

The APHON conference was great.  I love being around other nurses that do what I've been doing for 9 years.  It's a tough profession.  It's sad.  Getting to hear others stories and just be with people that understand is nice.  They get it when most people don't.  Being the emotional basket case that I am lately I cried a few time .  But, I learned a lot and I had a great time with my family and W.
Kentucky was beautiful.  To be honest, I'm ready to move there!  The weather was great and the homes were beautiful (and reasonably priced....yep, I checked it out).  I have no idea what people do for jobs up there?!?!  I do know that I was a tad jealous. 

So, what did we do when I wasn't in meetings?  Well, The Ohio river separates Kentucky from Indiana so they have lots of beautiful scenery.  We had dinner on the water one night and did a lunch boat cruise one day while I had a long break. 

These pictures describe William perfectly:

• oooooohhhhhhh!
• Always pointing and looking at you in amazement
• Rubbing those eyes when he's sleepy (Papa had someone draw W!)
• Walking with Papa looking at the ducks, bridges, cars, water....

 On our last night we ate at Hard Rock Café.  My meeting was held in the downtown area so we stayed down there and went to an area called Forth Street Live!  There were a ton of restaurants that looked fabulous.  Baby boy loved the Mac 'n Cheese and the music.  He danced the entire time we were there!

Being a mommy and wife will always be my first priority.  But staying educated is also important to me.  I want to continue to grow and learn.  I want to be a good nurse to the sweet patients and families I care for.  Knowledge is power.  For me, being well rounded in all areas of my life makes me the happiest.  I've always liked the saying "don't put all your eggs in one basket".   Most of mine are in the family basket but I keep a few reserved for my friends, work, my brain and body. 
So, thanks TCH for allowing me to attend this years conference!

Rosemary Beach Part 2

Here's part 2 of our Rosemary Beach Vacation!

Life doesn't get much better than this!  Gordon and I had a fun lunch date at a neaby sushi place that was super yummy.  We also had a breakfast date at our favorite little café.  It's so nice to spend timetogether without any distractions.  We sure do love time with our little buddy but you gotta have some alone adult time every once in a while.  And let's be honest....William's grandparents love alone time with him too! 

If we weren't eating or at the beach you could find us doing this.....

 



 

I'm by no means an expect on 30A (my sister in law is though!) but I thought I'd post some of our favorite places. 

 

Our 30A Restaurant Itinerary:

 

Aqua Sushi:  This was our lunch date spot.  It's right in the middle of RB "downtown" area.  They had yummy avocado bowls and lobster nests.

Caliza Poolside Restaurant:  This restaurant's ambiances is fabulous!  If you're looking for a quiet beautiful place to have a cocktail with your honey.  THIS IS YOUR PLACE.  It's located in Aly Beach (one mile from RB). 

Great Southern:  Is located in Seaside.  You can ride your bike to Seaside (we've done it before) but it's a work out!  RB to Seaside is an easy 15 minute drive.  We went to Great Southern last year.  They had great grits and mojitos! 

Summer Kitchen Café:  This is by far our favorite breakfast spot.  It's right by the bike shop in Rosemary Beach.  They have the best French Toast and Breakfast Burritos. 

Cowgirl Kitchen :  Another must go!  Yummy, yummy, yummy.  Every year, by the end of the week, the waitress knows us.  Not only is their food delicious everyone is so friendly.  Some days we just stop in for a beer and appetizer.  The crab dip is terrific.  We get a ton of it to-go for the house during the week. 

George's :  I mentioned George's in my last post.  It's an adorable little cottage located in Aly Beach.  Nothing is bad on the menu.  I usually get the fish tacos but this year had a chicken wrap so I could share with W.  It's was super yummy.  Their sweet tea is something to write home about.  :) 

Paradis:  Mommy Notice....they don't have high chairs.  haha.  But...it's a great date night restaurant with a great selection of seafood, steak and chicken.  We took William here on our first night and he did great.  We just sat outside in case things got crazy. 

Bud and Alley's:  This restaurant/rooftop bar is located in Seaside.  They have a gorgeous view and cute t-shirts!  We haven't gotten the chance to go here in the past two years (since our infamous bike ride).  It's a great place to grab a drink while you're doing some shopping in Seaside.

Stinky's:  located in Santa Rosa.  Yummy fish tacos and curly fries! 

The Red Barn:  We went here our first year to RB.  Located in Grayton Beach it's a 30 minute drive.  Great place if you're looking for live entertainment and fun bar.   

 



Family Photo on Day 1

Picking Daddy up

Last full day on the beach

 

Deep sea fishing

Before going to Rosemary Beach I knew we'd want to have a "grown up" night out.  One of my girlfriends vacations in RB and had mentioned using a nanny service.  Here's her post about her trip to 30A.  She shared the nanny's info with me which I quickly used to get something booked.  We ended up using them, Nanny Can, on the Tuesday evening that we were in Rosemary Beach.  I asked for someone with experience...they ended up sending one of their managers who passed all 8 adults "inspection".  We didn't leave until it was William's bedtime so all she had to do was give him a bottle and put him in the pack-n-play.  I'll be honest, I get pretty anxious about leaving baby boy but I was able to have fun.  We all hopped on our bikes and rode over to Caliza's.  The weather was perfect, the wine was delicious and the company wasn't too bad either.  :)  I'm so blessed to have such amazing in-laws! 

I can't say enough how much I love Rosemary Beach.  The weather is always so nice, the beach is beautiful, it's quiet and the town is adorable with great restaurants.  Ashley and Brandon are able to drive from Birmingham and bring all the supplies for the annual fish fry.  It's perfect.  Next year will be even more fun with William!
Here's a few pictures from our little family photo session.  William wasn't too into it....

 

 

 

It's so crazy to see how much a child changes in a year!!  Hope everyone had a great summer too.  We are ready for FALL!