"Don't Mess with Texas!!!"

February/March 2012

After the UNI Dance Marathon was over we decided to head to Texas where Ed's sister, Janene and her family live.  We've never been down there to see them and we thought that we would get out of town for a week and get out of the house.  Too much sadness.  It takes about 12 hours to get there and so we broke the trip up into two days as it hurts my back to sit for that long and the kids needed rest in a bed as well.

Rays of sun peeking out from behind the clouds.

This was near their home.  It looks like a blanket of snow clouds!

Aunt Janene gave the boys a bath.  Sweet mohawk, Jaren!

Phineas and Aunt Janene at Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Cousin Derek playing with Finny.  I was always thinking that it should be Ollie playing and wrestling with Finny.  I also missed Oliver because I know how well he and Derek played together.

Sunset on the way to the Dallas LDS Temple

Dallas Temple

Eden, Jaren, Finn and Papa

You can see the moon in the upper right hand corner.  Always makes me think of Ollie now.

I loved the look of these wiry trees.

Bear and Sissy

The Angel Moroni

All Spongebobed out...

Carina and her boyfriend, Josh at their choral concert event at the local college.  I felt like an idiot standing there in the midst of so many other people because I found myself unable to control the flow of my tears.  The music they produced was angelic.  It made me think of what Oliver was privy to up in Heaven.  It was just amazing.  I'm so glad I got to see and hear her sing!

This picture just made me wish she was always able to hold my babies and watch them grow up... not just from afar.

Cousin Gabe and Phineas

Jaren, cousin Derek, Eden

Carina, Janene, Stacy

Such a sweet pic of Derek holding Jaren...

Amazing sunset while we waited for a table to open up'

Phineas and Gabe

Phineas being a silly boy.

Eden sipping some root beer.  I love how the ceiling is covered in hub caps.

Brittan laughing as she proved her point that there actually WERE GOATS roaming around near the restaurant!  Her face is priceless!

Dallas

Oak Lawn??? Say, what?  (We live on Oak Lawn Ave. back in Iowa...)

We ate dinner at the Magic Time Machine in Dallas and had a ball.  Each waiter/waitress dresses up as a famous character and there are many different seating areas, including a bus and a jack-o-lantern.  We saw Marilyn Monroe, Superman, Mr. Incredible, Cho Chang from Harry Potter, Sinbad, Raggedy Ann, Lucille Ball, Peter Pan... to name a few!

Salad bar in a car...

Finn and Jaren piling on top of poor Derek.

Brittan and Gabe drinking their poison bubbly brew.

Making quick work of his drinks!

Lucy and Sinbad helping deliver our dinners.

Eden with our waitress, Raggedy Ann

Large jack-o-lantern in the middle of the restaurant.

Ed and me.  Ollie would have LOVED this place!

Eating at Applebees before we left for Iowa.  Carina, Josh and Jaren

Finny and Aunt Janene

This reminded me of Oliver.  If you've heard of the comedian Jim Gaffigan... you'll understand the photo!

Our little gnome friend on his first trip with us.

Oklahoma

Not the best picture, but I loved the moon.

Thinking of Ollie...

We had a good time visiting Ed's sister and her family.  It was nice to get away for a while and try to think of other things for a bit... even though I still saw Ollie in everything from the moon to the places we went to the license plates with a bow and arrow.  I wonder if it will always be like that.  I know I'll never forget the things he loved and how he would have reacted to certain things.  I feel like a part of him still lives on when we can make those connections to him.  Again... thanks Wawro family for letting us come and crash at your house for the week.  We'll have to do it again soon!