Fall 2008

The weather probably didn't start cooling down until November. Josh and I have been so thankful for the warm days. After living through our first winter and seeing the beginning of spring I can honestly say this is the best climate we have ever experienced. Even during the coldest months you can always look at the 5-day forecast and see a high of 60. The chilly mornings remind us everyday to appreciate the warm afternoons. I always know a warm day is just around the corner.









Last October we went to a Fall Festival held at the St. Clare Monastery, where the nuns support themselves by raising miniature horses and by selling ceramics. It's a fascinating place even without the Fall festivities.



Here we are partaking in a different Fall Festival. This one was located in downtown Bryan and was sponsored by the Children's museum.



This year's Halloween was by far the most exciting one for us and the kids. It was Harper's first time dressing up and going trick-or-treating. The day prior to Halloween we went to a party with Harper's friends Ava (Super Girl) and Ruby (Giraffe). The best part of the night was when all of the kids were running around a grassy field after dark. It was probably the first time Harper had been outside playing with friends after the sun had gone down. It was just as much fun for me as it was for him. I absolutely adored buckling his sweaty little body into the car after all of that playing and talking about it the whole way home. The following night we went trick-or-treating with Valerie, Dale, and Cruz. It was a beautiful night of excitement. Choosing the houses, seeing the decorations, getting candy, meeting new people, and again being out after dark were all equally delightful. Harper tried to engage every single person answering the door in a lengthy conversation. He would have stayed and chatted with every single mom and dad that answered the door if we let him. As always it is so endearing to see him passionately tell a story to a perfect stranger.



Playing at the Central Park (TX) pond.



On an evening walk at Central Park (TX) during the holiday season. They have a paved path that circles the park. During the month of December it is completely decorated and lit up with lights.

The holiday season was really great for us this year primarily because we got to see lots of family. The visits started with my Mom and Billy (aka Oma and Booma) arriving in November. We soaked up a lot of Bryan/College Station which included many trips to the park, going to World Fest downtown Bryan, taking Harper to the Harley Davidson store, celebrating my 30th birthday together, and of course cowboy boot shopping.
Then next visit began just a few days after we said good bye to Oma and Booma. We welcomed Josh's Dad (Ja Ja) and Rosemary. The highlights of the trip included celebrating Thanksgiving, Josh getting to golf with Ja Ja, dinners out, and tons of attention showered on the kids.
We had to wait four whole weeks before welcoming my Dad (Poppy) and Dawn (Nanny). We got to enjoy some sunny December weather, check out some new restaurants, and best of all celebrate Christmas together. Harper got two big gifts for Christmas that really marked what a big boy he is becoming. First, Harper got a new bed. He moved out of his crib (which he loved) and into a twin sized bed. I am so proud of him and it is so wonderful to actually be able to snuggle next to him under the covers and read books before bedtime. I don't actually get to do that much because Josh and I generally put the kids to bed together and Harper likes to claim Daddy and Rilke likes to claim me...for now anyway. The kids are doing well going to sleep at the same time and in the same room. Some nights they drift right off to sleep, some nights the talk and make each other laugh, some nights we hear Harper informing Rilke that "It's time for sleepies! Night, night!", and some nights things escalate from fun to tears and Josh or I have to intervene and settle things back down. We are definitely making progress though. Second, Harper got a bike with training wheels (thank you Nanny and Poppy!). Harper loves his new bike and really, really loves the helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads. I will post some riding photos soon. Rilke got a baby stroller, a baby, and a baby bottle. She loves pushing the stroller and jamming the bottle at the babies mouth. My favorite is when she props the baby up on her shoulder and pats its back and says shhh, shhh, shhh. Just today at 19 months old Rilke spotted and acknowledged a real baby for the first time. First she pointed it out to me, then she approached the baby, said hello, and stayed for a while to stare. It just about melted my heart.
I have to say we were on cloud nine for such a long time after seeing our family. Harper and Rilke reveled in the love and attention they received.

Finding the neighborhood park & other favorite places.

Not long after moving here we found our neighborhood park (Tanglewood). It's just a couple tenths of a mile away. It has two great playgrounds, fields, picnic areas, paved paths, tennis courts, and a splash pad. With weeks of arriving here I was at the park and on separate occasions met two lovely mamas named Valerie and Sarah. Valerie has a little boy named Cruz and Sarah has two little girls named Ava and Ruby. All of the kids range in age from one to five. I cannot express what a blessing it has been to have them in my life. I can't imagine Texas without them. Pictures of their children are sure to find their way on this blog because we are always together.




Here we are at Tangle wood (summer 2008).






Figuring out what a splash pad is.


This is pretty much the only action the tennis court sees at our apartment complex. The kids love it. They do countless laps around the net.



Before Rilke figured out how to walk she would hang on to the handles of this scooter and run. The scooter could barely keep up and it would just bounce around underneath her. It wasn't completely airborne but it certainly wasn't rolling either.



This scooter was given to Harper by the property manager here at the apt. She is a sweet person who has a son just a bit older than Harper. It is absolutely perfect for Harper. He feels safe on it which is probably his favorite thing about it.



Here we are going for a walk around another favorite place, Blue Baker. You can see the giant fountain in the middle. If the wind is blowing enough the water will mist over you as you walk by which is just perfect on a 100 degree day.



Here is Harper at the Children's Museum. We make an appearance there about once a week. There are so many different activities at their disposal it really gives me a chance to see what Harper and Rilke each gravitate towards.

Texas Arrival

So we arrived in Texas on August 1st, which was pretty much the hottest part of the summer. I'm not sure if it was the heat, the apartment, or our general surroundings but we altogether underestimated how hard it would be to complete the relocation process. After 6 months here I think we are finally starting to settle in.



Our first weekend here we headed off to Houston to visit the Menil Collection which is in the lovely and charming Montrose area of Houston.

















Rilke turned 1 just weeks after arriving in Texas!


On August 16th we celebrated Rilke's first birthday. Rilke was totally uninterested in the cake or opening presents but Harper totally embraced the idea of making her a cake and helping her eat it.



Here we are making a little trip to the bookstore so Rilke could play with the trains and pick out a book. I think she ended up picking That's Not My Dinosaur and That's Not My Truck. Oma had recently given us a book called That's Not My Tracter which was a big hit.