On the Road

My parents often say that Rick has gypsy in his blood, because he can't stay in one place for very long. Living in this house for nearly four years shocks them and practically anyone else that knows my hubby. Maturity has taught him the importance of settling down and living life for today. That and the fact that both sets of parents would kill him if he took our boys away from them...they are what keep us planted here in Fort Worth.

As I mentioned on Monday, Rick had several days off for the holidays. We hadn't planned on going anywhere, but just a day or two before Christmas, he announced that we needed to go see the Aggies play basketball. Any excuse to see his Ags. Any excuse to hit the road.

We drove to Houston to see the Ags beat up on Rice. Here are my little Ags before the game.
How do you like the Aggie hair?
Garrett enjoyed wearing the hair, but he's decided basketball isn't for him. That's alright. I think football and baseball will keep him plenty busy in the years to come.

After the game, we hung out long enough to meet some of the players. Bryan Davis stopped for a photo, and my boys (all 4 of them) were in awe.
I kept telling myself that he wasn't really all that big. But now that I look at the picture, HOLY COW, he's big! He's 6'9". Man, I wonder what life looks like from up there.

Will my boys be that big???

Coach Turgeon isn't very tall. And he's cool enough to pose with Rick.
Some people have asked if Coach and Rick are brothers. I do see the resemblance, but I assure you that there is zero basketball in our blood.

Yes, Rick is sweating. His brother asked if he was nervous. But no. Rice University needs to figure out how to cool their gym. It was so stinkin' hot in there!

After our fun game, we enjoyed dinner at a Turkish grill. To not find us at a TexMex restaurant or a pizza joint is cause for a kodak moment.
And the boys, I'm so happy to report, ate very well.

Bedtime was not quite so successful. This is the last time we can put all three boys in one hotel bed. They're all smiles in this photo, but I assure you there was much gnashing of teeth while fighting over covers, pillows, bed buddies, and personal space.
They're growing up!

We drove down to Galveston the next morning so the boys could see the ocean. Jack and Garrett have never seen a salty body of water, and Liam doesn't remember a trip to Cancun as a toddler.

The Gulf of Mexico is hardly the ideal beach vacation, but we still enjoyed walking along the water and hearing the waves crash.
The devastation from Hurricane Ike is still very evident.
I didn't take many pictures, but many houses and buildings are still in shambles.

Finally, we took a visit to the Houston Space Center. If you ever have a chance to make a trip to Houston, you need spend at least 1/2 day there. We all enjoyed it.

It was educational, as we toured the old mission control center and the present-day training facilities. There are also educational videos, virtual rides, and a large play scape. Truly, it was a fun place.
Have you ever stood next to a 363 foot rocket? We have!
And it's big, y'all.

It's fun when Rick's gypsy blood gets us traveling. I give him about three months before he has us on the road again.