Monday was spent getting organized and ready for the week. This was the kids least favorite day. It is far more fun to destroy their rooms and playroom than it is to clean up. We paid the piper and were ready for a fun week. Jason called late in the day to tell me he was given two rodeo tickets for that night. He and I went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. I was so excited. The last time I went to the HLSR, I attended I saw George Strait in concert. I am not a huge sports fan, but I do love to watch rodeo events. I had a blast cheering on the bull riders and barrel racers. Kid Rock performed after the rodeo. We stayed for about half the concert. When Kid Rock's shirt came off, I was done. It was a study in contrasts compared to the Chris Tomlin concert Jason and I recently attended. I'll take Chris Tomlin any day!
Tuesday we had a friend over to play. Her Mom was in the hospital and she hung out with us. We were finishing violin practice as she arrived. She helped/watched my daughter finish her lesson. The girls played with their American Girl Dolls for quite a while. They held a tea party for the dolls complete with paper pretzels and biscuits. My son played on his own when he wasn't irritating the girls. We ate lunch and rode our bikes to the park. After playing at the park, we came home. The kids then played in the backyard. My kids had a blast. Our friend's daughter fell asleep in the car not long after she left our house. I was told she had a great day too.
Wednesday we had play date with a family from church. They go to Sunday school and service opposite hours from us, so we don't get to see them often. We went over to the Audubon Society to take a hike. I had never been over there before, but it was a beautiful hike. I want to take the kids back and take some pictures. There is an old log cabin with lots of stuff to explore inside. I think we caught it during the lunch hour because it was not open. After our hike, we headed to Terry Hershey Park for a picnic lunch. There is one place in the park where there is a massive grassy crater. My friend and I sat in the middle and watched the kids play. The girls collected huge bouquets of wild flowers while the boys explored. We also met a neighborhood cat as we were leaving. Apparently, he thought the hatch of my friend's car was a comfy place to sleep.
Thursday was day trip day. I bought Jason a book for Valentine's Day called Day Trips from Houston: Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler. My Mom and I picked a day trip and took off. We picked the West day trip 3: Czech Country. We headed out to see what we could see. We stopped by the Fayette Hertage Museum and Archives. This is the place to go is you are tracing your Czech ancestory. We weren't. It was housed in the town's library. Outside was a nice park and playground. It would make a good picnic lunch spot. We had already eaten lunch, so after a quick look around we were off again. The book recommended the Jersey Barnyard. We called and found out the prices were $7 for adults and $5 for kids. After looking at the place, we skipped it. I would rather go to The Oil Ranch closer to home even if it is pricer. We called the Katysweet Confecioners. They are also mentioned in the book. We were told they are no longer offering tours. We found the town square and stopped into Le Petite Gourmet Shoppe. We found the shop interesting. The staffers were friendly to the kids. We had some samples and made a couple of purchases. We walked the square and found my camera card needed reformatting. The traditional town square was neat. The courthouse was in the center with the storefronts facing it on four sides. I could picture bygone times and see the heart of the town. We tried to find Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Site. My GPS was no help. The book said it was 1 mile south of town. We headed out of town toward Schulenburg and stumbled upon it. It is run by Texas Parks and Wildlife. We took the Scenic and Historical Trail which was a short 1/2 mile hike. It was late in the day and we were warned by the park ranger that the hike down to the Brewery ruins wasn't bad, but the hike up was rough. I was not interested in carrying two tried children back out, so we kept to the high country. The park ranger was very friendly and helpful. On our hike, we had a breathtaking view of the Colorado River. We saw the orginal house and barn for the site. There was also a monument and marker honoring the men who were involved in Dawson Masacre and Meir Expedition. These were interesting from a Texas history perspective. From a lookout point along the hike, we could also see the brewery ruins. The bluebonnets were blooming as was the Texas Mountain Laurel. Both were absolutely beautiful to behold. The Texas Mountain Laurel smelled heavenly. Overall the road trip was fun. We did not get to the 2nd half of the road trip described in the book to Schulenburg. There is a painted churches tour that sounds interesting. That will have to be another day!
By Friday we were worn out. I wanted to visit my friend in the hospital because she was due to deliver on Monday. My Mom watched the kids while I went to the hospital to visit. I had a great visit with my friend. My daughter read a book all day at my Mom's house and my son played outside.
Now Spring Break has come and gone and April is almost here. Time passes so quickly. The bluebonnets are blooming on the banks of the bayou not far from my house. I headed out Monday to try and get some good bluebonnet pictures. My son will NOT look at the camera or smile. These are the best I got.
Bluebonnet season is my FAVORITE time in Texas. The things I missed the most while I lived away from Texas was the HLSR and the bluebonnets.
The azaelas blooming in my yard this year were amazing. At least I got a kind of good picture of the kids.
What fun! So glad you had a great time!
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