visitors!

Sarah and Laura (YaYa) Ralston (my sister and niece) came to visit us last month! It was their first trip to visit us in Houston, and Laura's first time to Texas. We were so excited to have them come. They stayed for 8 days, which just flew by. It was so fun to have them here, and now we miss them even more! While they were here we:

...started the mornings really early. Not by Sarah or mine's preference...

But my kids were sick, Bailey had to go to school, and YaYa was just so excited to play with the kids in the morning, she would wake up early to see if they were out and up (which they usually were.) It was such a treat to hear YaYa's deep voice in the mornings. It was so fun to be around her all day and all night to really get to know her cute little personality and see how funny she is.

...we played A LOT!

Just playing here at home, the kids had so much fun together.

YaYa loved Bailey and Bailey loved having an admirer and friend!

YaYa also was very interested and very 'helpful' with "Bebe Bwynney." Here she's even trying to 'ninny' (nurse) Bryn for me. She loved to "hode bebe" (hold the baby), and help me change the baby's diaper. Bryn loved the attention and admiration, too. And I loved watching it all.

...we ate a lot...

It seemed like it was always feeding time at the zoo, or restaurants...

...we went out to eat, A LOT.
Houston has SO much good food, we had to give Sarah and YaYa a sampling of it all. Like, Valley Ranch BBQ, Papasitos, and Rainforest Cafe (which was more for the atmosphere). We also had to help Sarah get her fix on some Texas classics (she lived in El Paso for 8 years), like Chick-fil-A, Jack in the Box, and Snowflake Doughnuts.

We went to The Rainforest Cafe on a Saturday. It was supposed to be a fun alternative to going to the beach (we got rained out!). Most of us enjoyed it...

...but some were TERRIFIED of the dark, big, moving, howling/chirping fake animals and 'greenery' that hang from the ceiling and walls.

...and Benson hid his face from the 'scariness' most of the time we were there.

...we went to The Children's Museum of Houston.

(minus Bailey, she was at school)

...Brynley was so good to just 'hang out' while we toured the museum with YaYa and Benson.

The Museum is all hands-on and so much fun for the kids. They loved all the cars there were to 'drive' and climb in.

...hmmm....

two two -year -olds, 'nuff said.

...and at the end of the day, the kids collapsed into bed, early.

(believe it or not, YaYa IS under all those pillows, asleep!)

when it rains, it pours

I haven't been very good this summer at keeping my blog updated. But I have a good reason. We have been to the doctor's office at least once (sometimes two or three times) every single week since June. Benson has had strep throat 6 times since March, and two broken bones since April. Everyone has had a turn being sick, but Benson wins the grand prize. In the past month all of us were sick once. But Benson, he has had strep, a broken nose, pneumonia, a virus, and strep again. In just one month. He doesn't sleep at all when he is sick, which means, I don't get any sleep either. So during nap time, when I usually get things done, like my blog or housework, I sleep. Hopefully that will all come to an end very soon. But it will have to get worse (if that's even possible) before he gets better. Benson is scheduled to have his tonsils, adenoids, and ear tubes removed next Friday, October 2. We are hoping and praying this will be the 'miracle' cure he (and we) need so he can be a healthy, happy boy again.

9 Months (and change)

I say this every time, but I can't believe Bryn is 9 months old. Time has come and gone in a blink of a kaleidoscope eye. She can sit like a champ, and just started to say "mamma" and "dadda." She's our skinny snake baby, now up to a whopping 15.75lbs and 27.5 inches! (that's 3% weight, 75% height) (Perspective: Bailey was this size at 4 months) She has just about outgrown her infant car seat length wise, and wears 12 mos clothes that are super baggy (width) because she's so skinny.
Despite being so skinny, Bryn nurses all the time and is a really good eater with certain foods. She only likes "Pasta Vegetable Medley" for the dinner type foods, which is why she has an orange nose. But she loves all types of bread and crackers, or "pebbles." She gets so excited when I get one of her "Biter Biscuits" out, and cries like she's been pinched when it falls or I have to take it away because it's too small.


She screams for ice-cream...

...and then pulls a funny face because it's cold.
Brynley also 'screams' for "Little People," her "Whoozit," and books. She also loves her "nightly dates with Leo," aka: her bath. She loves to 'play' with "Leo" from our "Little Einstein's Tub Rocket" set. She cries and gets so mad when it's time to put him away and get out. She's a girl who definitely knows what she wants!