Back on the Travel Wagon

Yes, it has been a while since I sat down to blog...like 2+ years, but I'm back, at least for a while.  The last blog I wrote, Kai was 11 months old....things have changed just a bit since then.  Here's a quick recap:

• Adi is 5 (OMG) and in Kindergarten!
• Kai is 3 (Yes, it's been a while) and the sweetest thing there ever was

•  I am back to work full time at Candlelight Ranch... two years to be exact as their Executive Director
• Eric is still working at National Instruments and he is a Rock Star! 
• We have settled (finally) into life in Austin, it only took me 3+ years to decide that we didn't have to hurry up and move away.... 
• We have a small but solid group of friends which has really helped Austin feel like home

BUT.....those who know me, know that WE LOVE TO TRAVEL! Like seriously love to travel.  So when I accepted my role with Candlelight Ranch, I set the goal using a portion of my salary to fund our travel habit.  And while we have been doing some travel over the last three years there was one place that I had to get back to....New Zealand.
Quick List of places we have visited but not blogged about:

• Three Family Trips to Michigan
• San Diego for Thanksgiving -- maybe my all time favorite US trip especially with kids
• Nantucket for Chris Amory's Wedding
• 12 Days in Spain for our 10th Wedding Anniversary, sans kids (thank you, Sandy & Pat)
• 1 Week Eastern Canadian Cruise for Grandma's 80th Birthday (again, Sandy & Pat to the rescue)
• Three trip to Port Aransas/Corpus and San Antonio because I need time away from home, often

But back to New Zealand....we are off tomorrow for a THREE week adventure that will be filled with friends, family and fun.  I am so very excited that this goal is coming to fruition.   My children are so excited to sleep on the plane, see volcanoes, meet new/old friends and just go to New Zealand.  I am thrilled to have three weeks with my family, no work, no school, just time in nature together.  But mostly, I'm excited to be returning to one of my favorite places on earth where some of my very best friends and people live.  In literally every place we have friends to see, to eat with, to catch up with and it makes my heart want to explode.  I feel like I am going home, HOME for Christmas to my family, which is a BIG statement for me. More to come on this adventure.  Now to finish packing the four suitcases, schlep all the stuff to the airport and GO!  Stay tuned on this Jenneric adventure....

Kai: 10 & 11 Months

Well this big guy blew past months 10 & 11 and just keeps growing and moving.  The last two months have been a fun, happy time for all of us.  Kai is into everything, crawling, pulling up to stand, and walking with assistance.  This boy cannot sit still, and is probably a big reason why there has been no blog in the last two month.  He continues to be a master of eating, only refusing avocados, which make him gag, but will happily eat any and everything put in front of him.  He now has 5 teeth and we are waiting for the next three to pop through any day now.  Sleep is still going well.  Two naps a day and a good 11 hours at night.  Sleep for everyone! Adi is still the apple of his eye and they are playing together in short bursts, but I can see a deep and long friendship on the horizon.  Kai weighed in, unofficially at 22 lbs on July 4.  He is one solid boy and has the thick thighs to prove it.  We love him and are so happy that our family of 4 is complete.  Here are some pictures from the last few months!

Beach Baby

Kai, loved to get inside the coffee table, luckily this didn't last long

Someone left the door open...

Momma's Boy! 

Helping Mommy at work

Did I mention, Kai loves to climb! 

Pretty much the only time he will sit still is when he is eating

And he isn't always happy....

Where ever Adi goes, Kai follows

Water Baby

Eating Pad Thai -- he destroyed it

Best Friends

Happy 4th of July

Adalyn Turns 3

Well, she's 3 folks and she's a big girl now!  To celebrate Adi's 3rd birthday, we had a small party complete with friends from school and our neighborhood.  The kids played in the backyard, the parents talked and we all ate cake.  It was a fun way to celebrate another year for Adi.  Her favorite part of the day was eating her chocolate cake, the rest was just extra.  Here are few pictures from her birthday party.  Enjoy!

Kai was less than impressed about Adi's birthday

 For dinner on Adi's actual birthday, she requested Pad Thai and to bring her bestie Gavin (above) to dinner.  These two love each other, we may be in trouble in fourteen more years...little heart breakers

Adi wanted a "tea" party for her party, which turned out to be more of a backyard party but everyone had fun!  There were tea sandwiches and cupcakes, swings, sand box and bubbles.  So much fun!

On to year number 4!  yikes!

Port Aransas

It had almost been a year since we had touched the ocean and I needed to change that real fast, so we decided to take a long weekend and drive down to our favorite Texas beach location, Port Aransas.  The beach was shockingly more beautiful then I remember; the sand was powdery and clean, the water was warm and clear and the waves were small.  The weather was stunning (at least for the first two days) and we settled in to our first beach vacation as a family of 4!  We rented a cute little beach condo that met our needs perfectly, close enough to walk to the ocean and cozy enough to hang out in during naps and a few sick days.  All in all a good time and hopefully a place we return to often while we are landlocked in Austin.  A few pictures for your enjoyment!