Colorado 2013 (the part not in Colorado)

The kids and I decided to extend our vacation with a stay at my parents' cabin.  We spent every day down by the water, catching crawdads with peanut butter and lunch meat.  Clara was lucky enough to see her first deer, elk, frog, and javelina on this trip, which made Grandpa very proud.  

Here are a few pictures from the end of our trip:

As you can see, the crawdads were a big hit.

The Grands (Part 2)

This week at home has really recharged me.  It's nice to have some help holding and playing with Clara, especially since she has become the World's Worst Sleeper.

I love that things are always the same here.  My parents are always cuddling on the couch, Joe is stomping around the house, Nick is still incapable of getting himself a drink, my bedroom remains pink and green, Catfish is acting like a mean dog, the guys go out shooting, my mom and I spend time antiquing, old ladies at church still love me, chickens are escaping the coop, the pellet stove is burning, and the bean burro enchilada is still the cheesiest/tastiest thing on this planet.

Every kid deserves this kind of consistency.  If everyone had parents that were half as wonderful as mine, this world would be a much better (lay-around-in-our-underwear, eat-lots-of-little-debbie-snacks) place.

The Grands (Part 1)

We were lucky enough to spend an entire week with my parents, those beautiful souls that spoil us with Mexican food and have a big screen TV.  It's so refreshing to spend some time in my hometown.  We get to see obscene numbers of dead animals, usually carried around in parts by the dogs, and have plenty of laughs with the family.

I love watching little Clara interact with my brothers and parents.  She saves her biggest smiles for Grandma and it seems she has her first crush on my brother, Joe.  Nick is finally loosening up and playing with her, while Grandpa introduces her to the outside world.

Oh, how I wish my parents lived closer, even though it's only a car ride away!