A Tour of the Houston Astros Minute Maid Park

We went to quite a few Astros games this 2014 season. Like 7 or 8. 

Apparently that was enough to have one of the sales people from the Season ticket department call us and offer us a tour of the park, as well as an information "meeting" about purchasing a 28 game season ticket package (which we thought about for 2015 anyway). She said, hey bring the family down and your kids can run around on the field.

Um, yeah....... we'll be there lady!

Seriously, being Astros fans (and just baseball fans in general), it was AMAZE-BALLS!!!!!

We got to go in the press boxes, the Diamond Club, the dugout, and then we all got to run the bases!!!! (but no going on the grass).

The sales lady was even awesome enough to offer to take a family pic of us on Home Plate.

It's definitely something we want to do, but it is quite pricey...and 28 games is a lot, especially for little kids, and when your husband is a busy trauma surgeon. However she said there are perks like being able to turn in the tickets for games you couldn't attend and exchanging them for other games. Plus each ticket has $15 of pre-loaded cash to spend on anything you want at the park.

Hopefully we'll find a way to do it because we love baseball, and it's such a fun opportunity.

Even if we don't do it, it was one hell of a great experience that we all got to have!

Go Stros!!

Mama's got a new ride!

I never wanted an SUV/Big car. I loved my Jetta.

However, after Sean & Char came to visit in April, and Krysta and Chris in July, we knew we needed something that could seat 7.

Thankfully, when Sean and Char came in April Ryan had taken the week off so we were able to have 2 cars to drive everywhere.

However, when Krysta and Chris came, poor Krysta had to squeeze her ass between the boy's carseats in the back of my Jetta, while Chris sat shotgun just so we could go anywhere.

Not cool. Sorry again, Kre. Love you!!!

It has dawned on us that now that we live in Texas, people are flying to see us, not driving, and we just needed something bigger to accommodate that.

It was nice if Ryan was able to drive somewhere with us, but with his schedule he's not always available.

So after a few test drives (and my Jetta deciding randomly one day it didn't want to start and the next day being fine for over a week), we decided on the 2015 Ford Explorer Sport.

Seriously, the day we handed over the keys to the Jetta was a sad day. From the time I was 15, I wanted a VW Jetta. When I was pregnant with Mason I got a brand new one...and I had to give her away, it was so unbelievably sad. We tried to find a Volkswagen that seated 7, but they just didn't have one. 

Sad face.

This car is way fancier than I'm used to. It has a back-up camera (awesome for a dumb girl driver like me), and it even tells you if you're ok to switch lanes! Seriously. Whoa.

It has 6 months of Sirius radio (which I'll be canceling because I'm not impressed), so much room I don't know what to do with it, and the seats themselves are even air conditioned!!!! (I know this will come in handy in the summer here in Houston.)

I made sure the first thing I did to make it mine was put my Disney World Annual Passholder magnet on it, haha.

I've always driven tiny sedans, so it's definitely a big adjustment to a large SUV, but so far we're all loving it!!

It's a complete soccer mom-mobile without being a nasty minivan!! I heart you, Ford Explorer!!

ps- ignore Ryan's face. It had everything to do with the boys being complete A-holes yesterday on this road trip...and has nothing to do with how jealous he is of MY new car ;)

Alright, who's coming to visit next?????

Busted lip and a trip to the ER.....

 Why is it that kids always get hurt when their Dad is out of town? Especially when that Dad is a trauma surgeon who is fully capable of checking out a busted lip and making the yes or no call for the ER trip?

Well, Aidan fell off a stool at the breakfast counter while we were home for lunch after Mason's soccer game (and before Aidan's soccer game). I don't freak out over busted lips, because I know that they very rarely ever stitch them up. The mouth is designed to heal quickly, and that it does.

However, what had me thinking Aidan should be seen by a Dr was the fact that in addition to his lower lip being pretty busted, he had a bleeding spot below his lip as well that kept bleeding. I was worried he had shoved his tooth completely through his lip!

We Facetimed with Ry but he couldn't really get a good look via video, so I made the call to bring him to the local ER just to be safe.

They got us right in, which is nice about these mobile ER's they have here in Texas. It's not an urgent care, but a full-fledged stand-alone ER. Pretty sweet.

Aidan wasn't too happy. At home he heard mention of stitches and completely flipped out screaming he didn't want stitches. He also decided to run circles around the kitchen island and I had to chase him and tackle grab him to even get him out the door to the ER.

He got a hospital ID bracelet which he hated (it annoys me mom, can you take it off?), and he had a super awesome nurse. He kept asking me to tell her and the Dr that he didn't want stitches, and she overheard and had a little chat with him about not worrying until he needed to worry. She said he didn't know if he would need stitches anyway, and he might not even need them. He calmed down a bit after that, and she turned cartoons on for him to watch while we waited for the Dr.

He was super brave while the Doctor checked him out. He made sure his teeth weren't loose, checked out the rest of his mouth, and declared him good to go! Now that the profuse bleeding had stopped (we all know those damn mouth bleeds are the worst!), he was able to show me that the cut inside his lip didn't line up with the cut on the outside, and that it wasn't a through and through, and that he didn't need stitches for either. Yay!

The nurse came back with some motrin for the pain, and we waited for our discharge papers to leave. Mason, of course, made himself at home.

At this point, Aidan's soccer game had already started, and he was devastated he had to miss it. The Dr even gave him the OK to play, which sucked because I already knew we weren't going to make it in time, and Aidan got his hopes up.

So to make up for the crappy afternoon, we went to Target for some new Lego's and blue slushies!

The swelling went down after about 2 hours and he could talk normal again, and he never complained of it hurting at all after that day. Phew!

Sarah came over with a pitcher of strong (and much needed) cocktails that night and the boys got to hang with Ellie and play. A great end to crappy day!

A New Cousin - no babies, it's a grown-up!!

Waaay back when I was in Med Tech school, I got to do my lab clinicals at Centrex Labs at St. Luke's Hospital at home in Utica, even though I was living and going to school in Binghamton. So I lived at home for 8 weeks, and in the meantime, managed to secure a weekend job bartending at The Hook, Line & Sinker, where I used to wait tables before moving away. (You know, before Dick Zdyb sold it to a Dunking Donuts franchise and they frigging tore it to the ground, leaving lots of my friends and family jobless....but I digress.)

While bartending with my Mama on weekends (we made an awesome team, by the way), I met Ashley, one of the servers there. She was actually pretty awesome and I really liked her.

Fast forward a few months when I hear the family talking about my Cousin David's new girlfriend Ashley. I had no idea they meant Ashley from The Hook. When I realized it was her I was ecstatic!!

Now, I should back up a bit here in regards to my cousin David. We've always been very close, and when we were little we hung around each other so much (and both had the same blonde hair), that people thought we were twins. We've always just called each other "twin", and it has since then represented our bond.

That's the 2 of us in the middle, my brother on the far right, and my cousin Jamie on the far left.

I don't just accept anyone to marry my twinsy, but if I had to choose it would be the one person he chose for himself.

I got to take their engagement photos before moving to TX

I love Ashley. She and David make a great team, and I'm so happy they found each other!

I am so thankful she is family now. Not that you really need a marriage license to make you family...but it makes it legally harder for her to get away from us now ;)

Remember Ashley: we are all related by birth, we can't help it. But you chose us, and now you're stuck in our big, crazy, wonderful family.

Welcome to the Family.

I managed to get home for the wedding, (by myself because I didn't want Aidan to miss any time from his first week of Kindergarten). Ryan got a few days off and was able to stay home and play Daddy Daycare so I wouldn't have to miss the wedding. He was super bummed he couldn't go though. Back in our younger, crazier days in Utica we had many a "fun" (aka drunken) nights out with my twinsy.

It was really nice to get together with our family for a happy occasion, seeing as the last time we were all together it was for Dad's funeral in February.
We had an absolute blast! I love love loved seeing everyone!!! XOXOXO

Lar, Sandra, our Cousin Rich, and his girlfriend Christina.

Me & my bro.

Me & my Sister in Law, Sandra <3

A pre-wedding toast to the happy couple! Love my family.

With my Auntie, my Dad's twin sister.

with Auntie & cousin Melissa

A trip home always means I'm in high demand for photo sessions, and I LOVE it.

My first night in town I stayed with friends in Syracuse and got to do a cake smash/first birthday session for their little girl. Was it really only 2 short years ago I was doing her big brother's first birthday photos too??

I love spending time with the Parker family, and I almost always try and stop in for a quick visit when I'm home!

The next night I got to do my "little" Cousin's Breana & Kara's senior photos as well. 

Bree asked me months ago if I was going to be home soon and if I could do them for her. It worked out perfectly that I made it up for David's wedding and was able to do them!!

I had to make her do her own location scouting, and she wanted a field of sunflowers, and she found one!! The photos came out amazing. The field was perfect!

Breana

Kara

Gah how can they be so grown up already?

I hope to be able to get home again soon to spend a longer time with family!