Final Day in Houston

Day 8 in Texas was spent enjoying the perfect weather in downtown Houston. We enjoyed walking around a park that was right in the middle of their down town area. It was actually really peaceful with paths, water features, fountains, a playground, and large open grass areas. The girls were able to sport their tutus. Here are some pictures of our last day day together. Little Miss Emma taking a nap.
Maddie really enjoyed this big fountain area with the dancing water...clothes and all!

This is a whisper rock. When you sit here and whisper to the person sitting in the whisper rock across from you can hear anything you say. They are pretty far apart too. It is really cool!

Peyton in her Tutu.
Emma in her Tutu.

Peyton trying to reach the drinking fountain... she was on her very tippy toes, and was so close yet so far away.Cousins
Peyton lovin on Emma. She really felt like the big girl.

Days 6 and 7 in Texas

The next couple of days on our Texas vacation were spent at the Space Center, at a little place called Olive Anne The Pink Pokka Dot, and then at the Children's Museum. Here are some pictures to show our busy, but fun, couple of days! Maddie, the Cashier, at the little play market at the Children's Museum. What a great museum!! And best yet...we got in free with or OMSI membership card! We could have spent all day exploring the children's museum. We told Eric and Heather they are so lucky to have such a great place to take Emma to when she gets a little older!
Emma...looks just so surprised to be at the Children's Museum.
She is just so cute!
They had a HUGE outdoor water exploration area! So much fun! Peyton enjoyed starting boats and balls at the top of the moving water and watching the items make their way to the bottom and into this little catch all area.

Space Center... a play mission control center. We were able to see the real Mission Control center too.
The Fam in front of a rocket ship. It was really huge!
Part of the Training Center where Astronauts Train for their missions into space.
Future astronaut? The helmet is a little heavy!
Heather and Emma at Olive Anne The Pink Pokka Dot. This is a CUTE little girls boutique right by Eric and Heathers house. They have a little area where they paint nails and "do" hair, and can have cucumbers put on your eyes....all for little girls (not for grown ups.) It was so much fun to shop, look at all of the VERY GIRLY items, and have the girls get their toes painted and have their hair done with glitter and crowns. Heather and Eric bought the girls little tutus for Easter Gifts and we bought Emma a little tutu for and Easter Gift too. (Pictures to come in the Tutu's!) We had so much fun at this little shop.
Peyton getting her toes done. Soaking them in a tub of bubbles. The girls chose blueberry foot scrub and pink polish.
Introducing Emma to all of the girly activities she has to look forward to in the future. Just the girls relaxing on the leopard print chase.

Do you think she is enjoying this a little too much?
I love the little satin robes that the girls wore during their pampering session.

Texas...Days 4 and 5

On day 4 of our Texas trip we went to the Houston Zoo. It was a pretty nice day and one of the best parts was our Oregon Zoo membership was able to get us into the Houston Zoo for free! Can't beat that! It was a weekday, so the zoo was not crowded at all! It was so nice to enjoy the day at a new zoo with no crowds. The zoo was in a very large park that also had a little train. We were able to take the train all around the park and see all of the sights.

The next day we drove a little ways, about an hour and a half, to Galveston. This is where we went to Moody Gardens that has an amazing 12 level aquarium. The aquarium itself was the shape of a pyramid. It had all kinds of fish, of course, but also had seals, penguins, turtles, and many different sharks. It was a great aquarium.

Also in Galveston was the Beach. We stopped at a store and bought a couple of buckets and shovels to use in the sand. The girls spent a long time walking in the water and collecting shells. The shells here in Oregon are always broken from the rough waves. In Galveston we found many shells that were whole. This was a new experience for me too. We also walked out on a paved Jetty. Galveston had a lot of damage done to it during the Hurricanes 2 years ago. There was still evidence of the damage that the storm had left behind. There was a very large hotel that was right out over the ocean. It is now closed due to the damage that the storm caused. There was a huge hole in the side of the hotel that we could see. The bridge that had to be crossed to get to the hotel was completely gone. The hurricane had really done damage to this community.

I really think this is where I would like to visit and stay overnight if we are to go to Texas again. The beach is a place were I just love to be and I wish we would have had more time to stay and enjoy it.

Here are some pictures, once again in opposite order.

Days 2 and 3 in Texas

Our next couple of days in Texas were spent adventuring out a little to the Natural Science Museum and at a GREAT park! The weather was TERRIBLE the first day. We were warned by Eric and Heather that Texas rain showers and storms are not light...they were right. The wind was so strong it blew our umbrellas inside out and the rain was so hard you could not help but be drenched from walking just a short distance from the car to the Museum. It was crazy weather. But, that is why we chose an inside activity for the day. The Museum was really neat! It had everything you could imagine and want in a natural science museum from a dinosaur exhibit to a vault filled with beautiful jewelery and rocks of every kind. It was a huge museum and we could have spent all day there. That evening we had a great BBQ again and celebrated Chris' (Bryan's Brother) birthday. Eric made a yummy cheesecake. It was a good day! Oooo....and I almost forgot, the real highlight of our day was meeting Emma...who was asleep when we arrived the day before. The girls loved meeting their new baby cousin and spent quite a bit of time wanting to hold her, talk with her, and "help out" in anyway they could.
The following day was Sunday and Bryan's parents and brother Chris flew to other destinations. We spent the day at a wonderful park in the middle of a beautiful neighborhood. It was created and built by the community and was designed with a lot of woodwork detail and something for every age. We played for hours swinging, sliding,climbing, and running around. The weather was not raining on Sunday but was cold and very windy. As you will see in the pictures we were all bundled up. I even wore gloves and a down coat....thank you Heather for letting us borrow your coat, hats, scarfs, and gloves. We had come prepared for hot/warm weather. Not colder then home temperatures. The park was a great way to get all the kids energy out and have fun at the same time. We then returned home where Maddie and Eric made some yummy chocolate chip cookies. :) A great ending to a great day! There are still more adventures to share. I will keep working on posting as I get the time.

Sorry these pictures are not exactly in order...but still fun none the less. Enjoy!

Our day at the park. All bundled up! Grandma and Grandpa with their Granddaughters....all three of them!Maddie and Uncle Eric making cookies.Happy Birthday Chris!A day at the Museum.

Riding on Grandpa's Shoulders.Cousins